Flight
by ShikiXVI
Summary: Lisanna is back and Lucy is feels left out. After one drunk night with Natsu, Lucy's heart breaks. She leaves the guild looking for a better future but memories of the past follows her every step. Devastated, Natsu journeys across Fiore looking for Lucy. Mean while, a new threat rises with the birth of a new life ... post Tenrou. More sensitive take on our bumbling dragonslayer
1. Chapter 1

Summary:

Lisanna is back and Lucy is feeling very lonely. After one drunk night with Natsu, Lucy's heart breaks. She leaves the guild looking for a better future but will Natsu let her? Post Tenrou.

Disclaimer: If I was Hiro Mashima, Nalu would have happened from the beginning. Since I am not, Fairy Tail is (unfortunately) not mine and Nalu is slower than a snail.

A/N: Rated for a reason. First time writing lemon, the scene isn't supposed to be too graphic. The idea is that they did it, and the plot can progress. The better, longer ones come later. No flames please. Haven't wrote a fanfic in forever.

Chapter 1

"Child, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes master. I need to have a long time to think, alone. Right now there are too many possibilities. I can't stay here any longer."

The master sighed, a sorrowful look taking over his face.

"You are not going to tell him?"

"No, not now. Maybe someday, but not now."

The master sighed again before giving her one last glance.

"I hope you are making the right choice. Remember, our doors are always open to you."

She gave a half-smile.

"Thank you master, good bye"

The door shut silently on her way out.

\- Three weeks prior -

"Hey Lisanna" Natsu called from the entrance, "Wanna go on a mission today?"

Lucy sat at her regular chair by the bar observing the interaction between the two as Lisanna skipped happily to Natsu. Lisanna was a really nice girl. Lucy didn't blame Natsu for being elated by the fact that she was alive. However, as the weeks passed, Lucy definitely found out that a life without Natsu was very hard and mostly boring. She missed her idiot teammate who was a destructive fireball everywhere. Although Natsu did some pretty stupid things, he cheered her up and always made her day happier.

Lucy sighed as she watch Natsu take a mission off the board to give to Mira. Before she could mark down the quest however, the guild doors banged open with Gildarts walking in.

"Hey listen up! We are having a party today! As you all know, our S-class exams are only a few weeks away. Master said to give you all a breather before exams starts. This is the last time you have to go wild for a while, so party hard!" With that, Gildarts motioned outside where Erza was carrying a huge boar.

"All right! I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled.

"Lisanna do you mind if we do the mission tomorrow then?"

"Sure that's fine." Lisanna replied.

Lucy still sat by the bar, the crowd was getting hyped up but she wasn't in the mood to party. If anything, she just wanted to go home and climb into her bed and sleep. There were already fights breaking out between the partygoers and the commotion was giving her a headache.

"Lucy, why don't you go have some fun?" Mirajane asked.

Lucy smiled weakly, "Thanks Mira, but I'm not in the mood right now."

Mira smiled back, "Don't worry, this will pep you right up."

She slid a glass of clear liquid towards Lucy. Lucy stared at the glass. It was probably alcohol but what was the worst that can happen?

 _My life is already screwed as it is._

Mind made up, Lucy grabbed the drink and uncharacteristically chugged it down.

"Thanks Mira, that was very refreshing."

Lucy returned the glass and walked towards the party crowd. She could already feel the effects of the drink on her. Her mind was relaxed, and she began dancing with the music. As other guild members crashed and fought around her, she didn't mind like she usually did. Instead, she spotted Levy on the corner and dragged her onto the dance floor. Soon the commotion died down and the fights that were happening at the beginning of the party ended. Most people were dancing now. Couples held onto each other while singles danced in a group. Feeling slightly lightheaded, Lucy decided that now was as good time as ever to start heading back. Quietly saying goodnight to Levy and Mirajane, Lucy slipped out the backdoor.

The night air was frigid. The coldness created goosebumps along her skin. Very few people were out at night, and for the ones who were out, they rushed with a sense of purposefulness. Lucy walked along the edge of the canal, humming one odd tune or another. Soon, she arrived at her apartment and went in. It was warm, in fact warmer than it should have been. Heart beating quickly, Lucy made way to her bedroom. A rush of cold air hit her but that was due to the window being open. The room itself was stifling hot.

A shadow nearby moved, and Lucy jumped in surprise before realizing that it was Natsu.

"Natsu, did you follow me here?" she asked in an exasperated tone.

"You left the guild before the party was over." He simply stated.

"That wasn't what I asked." Lucy replied, but Natsu remained silent. His stare fixed on Lucy. Lucy felt her heart start beating rapidly and a blush stained her cheeks. In the moonlight, Natsu's normally onyx eyes glowed gold.

"Why are you here?" Lucy tried to ask again.

Again, Natsu didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer and closer until he was right in front of Lucy. She could smell the telltale scent of alcohol on Natsu.

"Natsu did you drink? You know that's – " She was cut off as Natsu engulfed her in a hug.

"Mine." He growled possessively.

At this point, Lucy could definitely feel that heat on her cheeks. She was surprised that she hasn't exploded yet. Before she could do anything else though, Natsu started kissing her. His lips demanding and hot as he pulled her even closer to him. Lucy moaned and Natsu took advantage of it to taste her inside. He was hot, his temperature was rising. In the back of her mind, Lucy knew this was a very bad idea. Alcohol always lead to bad mistakes. She tried to protest, to shove Natsu off her, but he was too strong.

Natsu soon had Lucy pushed onto the bed. She struggled, but her efforts were getting weaker at each attempt. The drink she had earlier had fogged her brain and all arguments flew out when Natsu began to suck gently at her neck.

"Mine" He whispered again.

He was looking directly at her this time. His odd golden eyes staring into the chocolate orbs. Lucy couldn't keep it in.

"Natsu …" She moaned.

His eyes began to become even more intense as he undressed her. His touch this time was tender, unlike the forceful way he had kissed her earlier. Once Lucy was completely devoid of clothes. Natsu began to kiss down her neck. He kissed her breasts, stomach and thighs before going to her nether regions. He suckled and played with his clitoris, making Lucy moan squirm. As he began lapping at her folds, Lucy tangled her hands into his hair. She could feel her release it was so close. When Natsu began thrusting his tongue inside, Lucy lost it. She screamed his name as she came and rode on the after waves of orgasm.

Natsu crouched over her and gave her another kiss. They each battled for dominance before Lucy relented. Once they broke apart for air, Natsu began taking his own clothes off. When he was done shedding his clothes, Lucy found herself enraptured by his member. It was big, long, and hard. Absentmindedly, she wondered if it will fit. As she made an attempt to reach it, Natsu grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head. He came down and captured her lips for another kiss before rubbing himself against her. Lucy moaned and began grinding against him. Natsu entered her within the next minute. Lucy winced at the pain but Natsu didn't stop. He was like a man possessed, and kept thrusting into her. He was back to his original demeanor, his kindness gone. His thrust was forceful and hard, and Lucy was in pain at first. But she soon got used to it and found the rhythm between them.

"I love you" Lucy whispered.

Natsu grunted in reply. They came together, Natsu emptying himself inside of her. Lucy was exhausted, and she soon fell asleep surrounded by heat.

 **NEXT DAY**

The next day, Lucy woke up feeling very sore. Her bed was cold and her windows were open. The recollection of last night hit her like a train. Lucy didn't know to cry or jump in elated happiness. She quickly took a shower and prepared her best outfit for the day. Vaguely, she wondered why Natsu did not show, but waived her thoughts away since she will be seeing him at the guild. Humming a happy tune, she quickly did her hair and headed the way towards Fairy Tail.

She sat in her usual spot at the bar, brimming with cheer. Mirajane fixed her up a small breakfast as she waited for Natsu to show up.

Soon enough, the guild doors banged open and her favorite pink haired dragon slayer walked in. Lucy pretended not to smile at him and resisted the urge to fling herself into his arm. She covertly glanced from her breakfast as he walked towards the bar.

"Good morning Na –" She was cut off as Natsu walked past her to yell into the kitchen.

"Hey Lisanna! You ready for the mission?"

The white hair mage soon came out.

"Yeah, give me a minute to wrap up some stuff." She replied before walking back in.

"Hey Natsu." Lucy greeted again.

He glanced over at her, as if he just noticed she was there.

"Oh hey Luce. Crazy party last night huh? I am so glad that Lisanna was able to take care of me and get me back home."

Lucy's face fell and her spirit plummeted.

"Do you remember anything last night?" she asked.

"No, not really. My memories are pretty vague. But I'm sure Lisanna took care of me. She always does, back then and even now."

"Ah I see." Lucy replied as she tried to reign back the tears that were threatening to come out.

"By the way, do you mind if I go on missions with Lisanna for a few more weeks till the S-class exams? I want to help her adjust."

Lucy remained silent. She didn't trust herself to say anything. She gave a quick nod and an excuse to use the bathroom. Once inside, Lucy began to cry her heart out. He had forgotten everything. He thought it was Lisanna who took care of him even though he had such an intimate moment with Lucy. Her heart broke at the thought. Even though she knew Natsu was dense, she always wondered and feared if Natsu and Lisanna would get together. Their bond was so strong and they have known each other since they were kids. Lucy was determined to not let her feelings show. If that happened, she would probably break down. However Natsu was her friend, and even if he never returned her feelings, she still wanted him to be happy. She knew from his actions and his word that they will never be the same again. If the time ever comes, she would support Natsu in whatever decision he made. But for now, she would mourn the loss of her best friend and the future they will never have.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary:

Lisanna is back and Lucy is feeling very lonely. After one drunk night with Natsu, Lucy's heart breaks. She leaves the guild looking for a better future but will Natsu let her? Post Tenrou.

Disclaimer: If I was Hiro Mashima, Nalu would have happened from the beginning. Since I am not, Fairy Tail is (unfortunately) not mine.

Chapter 2

As she walked out of the guild, Lucy sadly recalled the time before the S-class exams. Natsu had been hanging out with Lisanna all the time before the exams, and once exam started he didn't talk to Lucy at all.

 _Well, at least I was able to help Cana with her problems._

Not that her own problem wasn't getting larger (literally) by day. She silently mused to herself in her seat, a book forgotten on her lap. After that night with Natsu, she was heartbroken that he did not remember anything and in fact mistook her for Lisanna. At first, Lucy was going to forget about it. She didn't blame Natsu because they were both drunk and she enjoyed it. But after the Tenrou exams, Lucy started having a suspicion when her monthly cramps didn't come. When she finally got the courage to check, the news hit her hard. She was so happy, but so sad because she knew her child would not have the loving father that it deserved. With her complicated relationship with Natsu and the whole seven year skip, Lucy was overwhelmed. It was a very hard choice, but she decided to leave Fairy Tail. The life of a mage was certainly not what a mother expecting should have. It was dangerous and she could harm herself easily. With this resolution in mind, Lucy had gone and asked Master for a leave.

Magnolia was getting further and further away. She could still see the Fairy Tail flag sign, but it was becoming a bright speck in the distance. As Lucy glanced out the window, she allowed the rumbling of the train to slowly sooth her to sleep.

The train jerked to an abrupt stop, startling Lucy out of her slumber. She looked around at an unfamiliar village. Initially, she had gone on the train with no specific place in mind. She just needed to get away from Magnolia, from Fairy Tail, and from Natsu. It has already been two nights since and the train had arrived at the very rural areas of the kingdom. Everyone lived in small cottages with a market and shopping strip in the center. Most of them relied more on farming rather than manufacturing.

Feeling that it was far enough, Lucy stepped out of the train. The crisp clean air hit her and she inhaled and exhaled deeply. The air was wonderful, and the environment was nice. The village was sprawled by the side of a plain. A forest on one side and rolling hills will tilted soil on the other. Lucy determined that it was nice. Dragging her suitcase behind her, she made a walk towards the inn.

"Welcome!" The barmaid greeted when Lucy walked in.

"Hi, I was wondering if there is any apartment available for rent." Lucy asked.

"Ah, are you thinking about moving in around here?"

"Yes, I am looking for a change of scenery from the city."

"Well, you came at the right time then. One of our villagers Saku owns a boarding house, and one of her renters recently moved out. I think she still have a space right now. She lives by the edge, near the forest. Why don't you check with her?"

Lucy gave her thanks to the barmaid and left. Walking along the streets, a sense of nostalgia hit her. It was just like the first time she lived in Magnolia, except Natsu was holding her hand and pulling her onwards towards Fairy Tail. She sighed, it didn't do her any good to think about Natsu anymore.

After a few minutes, Lucy arrived at the house next to the forest. It was big, she noted, in comparison to the other villager's houses. Tentatively, she knocked on the door and waited for it to be answered.

A small lady with graying hair brusquely answered the door.

"Who are you?"

"Hi, my name is Lucy, I heard from the inn that you may have an opening for renters here?" Lucy asked hopefully.

The old lady eyed her, leveling her with a stare. Lucy sweat dropped under the scrutiny.

"Don't be loud, don't destroy things, and don't bother me unless it is necessary." The lady stated. "As long as you can follow those rules you can stay. 20,000 J per month. Name's Saku."

"Thank you!" Lucy said cheerfully.

"Your rooms is upstairs to last one to the left." Saku gave her one last stare before heading back inside.

 _Well, I guess this is a good as it can get._

Lucy started hauling her suitcase into the house. The stairs were steep, and it was hard to pull her suitcase up. However other than that, it was relatively easy to find her room. Lucy noted that there were two other rooms upstairs.

 _Must be the other boarders._

Lucy went into her room. It was decently sized, if she stayed here for over a year, Lucy would still have room to fit a small child size bed. Like her apartment, there was a window by her bed. However instead of the busy Strawberry Street in Magnolia, this window opened up to wild plains and trees. She took out one of her keys.

"Gate of the Maiden, I open thee. Virgo!"

Virgo appeared in a flash in front of Lucy.

"Yes hime, Is it time for punishment?" She asked.

Lucy sweat dropped. "No, rather do you still have the things I gave you earlier?" She asked

Virgo faded and soon reappeared with two stacks of books.

"Yes hime, I have safely stored the books in the spirit world for you. Is it time for punishment?"

"No! Thank you."

With that, Lucy closed the gate and commenced moving in.

\- Back at the Guild, a month after Lucy's disappearance -

"Hey Mira! Have you seen Lucy?" Natsu asked.

Mirajane looked at Natsu and thought about it for a minute.

"Hmm, actually no. I don't think I have seen her for a while." She replied vaguely.

The truth was that after Lucy had left, the Master had informed her of the situation when Lucy didn't show up and Mirajane asked around. To be honest, Mira was very disappointed in Natsu. Although she understood that Natsu missed Lisanna and appreciated the fact that he was helping her adjust. It gave him no excuse to ignore Lucy at all. She sighed, she knew of Lisanna's infatuation with Natsu though Natsu was probably too dense to see it. But Lisanna had been missing for a long time, and people and circumstances change. It was so obvious that Natsu and Lucy was in love with each other that sometimes she wanted to transform into her Satan Soul form and bash their heads together … or more like lock them up in the closet and see what happens next.

The news of Lucy's disappearance hit her hard, but it wasn't completely unexpected. In the weeks before the S-class exams, Lucy's mood was very low and downtrodden. Once they arrived back from the exams, her frequently late visits to the guild had left her suspicious.

 _Natsu you idiot. You lost the most important thing in your life._

"Why don't you ask Master? I am sure he knows where she is. If I recall correctly, I saw her talking to him last." Mira recommended.

Although she wanted to yell at him for being an insensitive jerk. She knew that the Master could probably talk some more sense in him.

Natsu thanked Mira and began heading upstairs to the Master's office.

"Gramps! Mira said you knew where Lucy went?" Natsu barged in.

Master Makarov sat behind his desk and looked at Natsu. It was a contemplative look, but also reproachful. In fact he stared for so long that Natsu thought he was not going to reply at all.

Eventually, the Master sighed.

"She is gone. Natsu."

"What do you mean she is gone? Did she take another mission without me? Seriously, she needs to learn to be safe, what if something happened ..."

Natsu was beginning to ramble when the Master cut him off.

"She left the guild a month ago Natsu."'

Natsu could only stare in shock. Lucy? Leaving the guild? The idea was impossible in his head. Lucy would never leave the guild. They were all nakama, and on multiple occasions she said they were family.

"Gramps, this is not a very funny joke."

"I am not joking. She left the guild a month ago when we came back from Tenrou Island. I have no clue of her whereabouts."

Natsu slammed his hand on the desk. Anger slowly beginning to get better of him.

"What do you mean she left the guild? Lucy would never leave." He yelled.

Master Makarov sighed. He had enough of Natsu's tantrums.

"Cool your head brat. Lucy was lonely. She was going through a very hard time before and after the exams, and no one paid any attention to her. She claimed that she needed a break and I gave it. If you have any questions you should ask the person yourself!"

Natsu rushed out of the room without giving a reply. The only thought on his mind was Lucy. He raced down the streets towards her apartment and hopped up the window. His heart stopped at what he saw. The apartment was empty. All of Lucy's books were gone, a closer inspection into her drawers and closet revealed that her clothes were gone too. Her scent was stale in the air. Lucy had not been here for a long time. Natsu collapsed on the bed where the remaining scent of Lucy lingered the strongest.

 _Luce, where are you?_

A/N: Yes, it is two chapters in a day to celebrate the start of this fanfic. May upload more later, no idea yet. Like I said, I haven't written a fanfic in a long time. I don't have a schedule yet but it will be clearer the further I go along.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary:

Lisanna is back and Lucy is feeling very lonely. After one drunk night with Natsu, Lucy's heart breaks. She leaves the guild looking for a better future but will Natsu let her? Post Tenrou.

Disclaimer: I wish Fairy Tail was mine but it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Chapter 3:

Lucy hummed to herself as she began writing her novel. It has been a few since she moved in. Her life in the boarding house was pretty relaxing. She met the other boarders and found them very nice. One of them was Kiyo who worked at the local dojo and the other was Shiharu, the barmaid that first helped her when she arrive at the village. Lucy had a feeling that Kiyo and Erza would get along very well if they met. Shiharu reminded her of Mira, but she was a lot more hyper. Saku, despite her gruff demeanor, was a very caring person. When Lucy was late to breakfast one day because of morning sickness, Saku went up to her room to check on her. Consequently, she also found out that Lucy was pregnant. Saku didn't ask any questions. Instead, Saku lead her downstairs and brewed her a cup of tea, telling her it would make her feel better.

Lucy was grateful. When the other girls found out, Shiharu squealed and Kiyo congratulated her. They didn't ask any questions either. Life was very stable. The boarding house was nice, each person had their own room and bathroom. The kitchen however, was communal and Saku usually made food for them.

Once discovering her circumstances, Shiharu offered Lucy a job as her assistant barmaid. Lucy quickly agreed and the two began working together. The pay covered her rent, and she had a little left over afterwards. Her life was a lot quieter now, peaceful almost.

A gust of night wind blew in from her window, bringing Lucy out of her thoughts. It was on nights like this that she missed Natsu the most. His warmth, energy, and kindness that always engulfed and calmed her. A sense of nostalgia hit her as she recalled all the moments she had spent in Fairy Tail.

The tears threatened to fall again. Lucy resisted the urge to bawl her eyes out again. She gave quiet sniffles, frequently reaching for Kleenexes as she tried to write her novel. Her hands however, was shaking, and she decided to retire for the night instead.

The next day, Saku knocked on the door before the sun came up. Still tired from crying the night before, Lucy grumpily answered the door.

"Get dressed, we are going somewhere." Saku ordered curtly before walking away.

"Also, bring your keys, I will meet you at the entrance."

Lucy nodded sleepily before snapping up in surprise. Keys? How did Saku know that she had keys? She looked towards the hallway but Saku was already gone.

Lucy quickly got dressed and hooked her keys onto her belt. She quickly ran towards the entrance, careful not to make too much noise and disturb Kiyo and Shiharu. When she arrived, Saku looked at her and motioned Lucy to follow.

They walked in silence towards the forest. Saku calmly continuing onwards while Lucy stumbled behind, trying to avoid branches and bushes. After a while, when Lucy thought they were really lost and needed to turn back, Saku stopped. She had led them to a large clearing. It was surrounded by trees, with a clear stream running by the side.

"Take out your keys" Saku instructed

Curious, Lucy obliged.

"How did you know I had them?" Lucy asked

Saku chuckled mysteriously.

"I can sense them. They are very worried for you."

"How? I had them out of sight when we first met, and I haven't used them since."

"Do you know the origin of Spirit Magic?" Saku continued as if she hadn't heard her.

"Spirit Magic is the predecessor of Celestial Magic, the one you use. Celestial Magic utilizes keys to open a door to the spirit realm in order to summon spirits. Spirit magic you see, draws directly from the spirit realm and Earthland. It is one of the oldest magic." Saku paused, accessing Lucy's reaction.

"When you first knocked on the door, I knew you were Celestial spirit mage. Spirit magic allows its users to identify and locate any magic within the immediate area of the user. Each mage has their own unique magical signature that is active even when the mage isn't using magic. Spirit magic allowed me to see what you are. To be honest, I was skeptical at first when I saw you. Any traveler going alone in these parts, especially if it was a girl, is suspicious. Although we don't have bandits anymore, there are still many dark guilds out there. I allowed you to stay because I could feel you were sincere and knew you needed a place to stay. Recently however, I have sensed a haze of darkness around you. Tell me Lucy, have you heard of the Black Dragon?"

Lucy's eyes widened and she felt her heart stop.

"Acnologia."

"Yes. Acnologia. You see, normally, a mage's magic is in harmony with nature. However, Acnologia was an aberration, all of his magic is against the natural order. Thus, wherever he is, he emits a forceful magical signature that harms and clings to everyone he fights against like a parasite. Normally, it would wear off in a few days. But in you condition," Saku gestured to her stomach, "You are highly susceptible."

Lucy was at loss. Her child was in danger. The battle against Acnologia did more damage than she had initially thought. Her poor, poor baby. Lucy wanted to scream at the world for its unfairness. Tears began streaming down her face. She sat down, weary and crying.

Saku gently gave her a pat on her head.

"Child, this is why I brought you here today. Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail."

"You know." Lucy whispered.

Saku nodded.

"The reputation of your guild precedes you. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in Fiore heard of Fairy Tail before. Tell me child, are you going to fight, or let it stay and harm you and your child."

Lucy rubbed her eyes and wiped away her tears.

"Fight."

\- Meanwhile at Fairy Tail -

Lucy left the guild. Master Makarov officially announced the news after Natsu ran out. All the guild members were shocked. They never expected their bubbly blond celestial spirit mage to leave. The ones who had their suspicions, namely Erza, Levy, Gray, and Happy fell silent, their faces looking down. They knew that Lucy had her own issues, but everyone did. She had kept up such a cheerful demeanor in the guild, but now she was gone and no one knew why. It hurt them to know that she had problems they didn't help with, but the fact that she told no one hurt them even more.

At the announcement of this news, Lisanna was shocked but wasn't really hurt. Lucy in her mind, was very close to Natsu who she liked. It was shocking that any guild member would want to leave the guild but Lisanna was relieved that Lucy did. After all, it was just less competition.

"Damn it. Why did she leave? Master, why did you let her leave?"

Makarov could only look at the ice mage with disheartened eyes.

"She made her own decision Gray. Lucy needed time and she asked for it. I gave it to her."

"I won't believe she left until I hear it from her myself." Erza stated. The ex-quip mage glanced at the master.

"She won't leave. Not by her own volition. I'm going to look for her."

Happy started crying quietly. Makarov was sad to see all the guild members cheerless about Lucy's absence.

"She stated that she will return. We can only give her what she asked for. Time. Erza, Gray, Happy, I know this is hard but we can only believe in her."

The members of team Natsu shared a look.

"Fine."

In the back, Levy clutched a letter to her chest.

 _Lu-chan_ …

~ Flashback ~

It was a normal, rowdy day in the guild. Levy was taking a break between missions and reading a book when Lucy stepped up to her.

"Hey Lu-chan," Levy greeted cheerfully but quickly changed her mood when she noticed Lucy's somber demeanor.

"What's wrong?"

Lucy gave her a weak smile and sat down.

"Levy-chan, I have to ask a favor of you. In the near future, I will probably be going on a long adventure. When I do, everyone in Team Natsu is probably going to freak out. Here."

She handed Levy a letter.

"Please give it to them when the time comes."

Levy was confused, "Lu-chan, aren't you going to tell them about the adventure? Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet, but Levy-chan, please promise me you will do this for me. Please." Lucy pleaded.

"Sure, I promise."

~ End Flashback ~

Levy nodded. She was still confused but Lucy refused to talk about it anymore even when she asked her. Once she left, Lucy regained her normal cheerful demeanor. As the weeks passed, everything in the guild continued on normally. Levy soon forgot about the strange conversation she had with Lucy.

 _Now this happens. Oh Lu-chan, why did you leave?_

She walked towards Team Natsu, letter in hand.

"Erza, Gray, Happy, I have something for you."

She handed them the letter.

"Lucy gave me this a few weeks before she left. I didn't know what she meant then, but now I think I know. It is for you."

Eyes widening, the members quickly opened the letter. The familiar script of Lucy's writing greeting them.

 _Hey Guys,_

 _It's me. I guess by now I probably left. I'm sorry for the short notice, and for the fact I didn't tell you. I couldn't. If I did, I don't think I would've gotten the courage to leave._

 _Erza, you are like a sister to me. You helped me so much in the past, and I had so much fun with you. Keep Natsu in line for me will you? I can just imagine him getting into so much trouble. Thank you for caring so much about this team and helping us. Don't get hurt. I know you are strong, but I still want you to be safe._

 _Gray, you are a good friend and brother. You should really work on your stripping habit though. One day, it is definitely going to get you into a lot of trouble. Don't destroy the guild again. Master already has his hands full with Natsu destroying cities. I do hope you two will get along well. Thank you for always supporting me and helping me._

 _Happy, you cat. You should know it is not polite to insult ladies about their weight. God knows how many times you commented on mine. Keep getting fishes for Carla. I know you can win her heart. Keep watching over Natsu for me and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble._

 _I'm really sorry guys. This must come as a shock, but it is something I really need. Please tell Natsu to not look for me. I will return someday perhaps. Don't worry about me. I am not going to a dangerous place. It is just one part of the big adventure they call life. Furthermore, in case Natsu doesn't listen, tell him that I also left a letter for him. It's inside the drawer of my table where I used to keep all the manuscripts for my novel. Guys, be careful. I don't know when is the next time I will be able to see you, but I know I will miss you guys a lot._

 _Lucy_

Everyone had tears streaming down their faces. They were sad that she left, but her letter confirmed her feelings on why she had left. Each member could only silently sit next to each other as they offered comfort to one another for the loss of their teammate.

"We should tell Natsu about this." Gray commented.

"Yeah, Natsu would be heartbroken." Happy cried.

The team mates fell into silence. They all knew about the feelings between Natsu and Lucy. It was clear as day to anyone but the two themselves. Erza volunteered to stay at the guild in case Natsu came back. Gray went to Natsu's house and Happy went to Lucy's apartment.

"NNNaaaatttssssuuuuu!" Happy yelled outside the window.

The dragon slayer groaned. He had been burying himself in Lucy's scent and etching it into his memories before Happy barged in.

"Happy?"

"Natsu! Lucy left!" Happy wailed.

"Yea, I know buddy. I'm going to find her and bring her back." Natsu replied.

"You can't she doesn't wanna come back."

Happy started telling Natsu what happened in the guild after he left. Between the hiccups and the tears, Natsu got the gist of the story. Remembering the many times he barged in on Lucy writing, he went to her desk and pulled out the drawer that used to contain her manuscripts. Inside was a plain white letter with his name written neatly cross the top.

 _Natsu,_

 _How long has it been since we met? It seemed like forever ago when you first saved me in Hargeon and brought me to Fairy Tail. I will always thank you for that you know. You gave me the experience of a lifetime. You saved me so many times on missions and I am eternally grateful. In my heart, you will always be the pink haired dragon slayer who gave me a chance to have a family who cared for me. Natsu, I know you are strong, but don't overdo it. Try not to destroy too many things when you go on missions. Don't worry about me. I will be safe wherever I am. I just need some time alone to sort out some things and find myself. With so many things happening around me, I feel lost. Perhaps, someday I will return. Please just trust me._

 _I hope you and Lisanna can work out. She is a very nice girl, and I know how you are worried about her. Just live your life Natsu. In fact, you can just forget about me if it helps. I will always wish for your happiness. Don't look for me. Please._

 _Lucy_

Natsu closed the letter, hands trembling. She was gone. She left on her own will. Why? Natsu tried to think about all the reasons that could possibly cause Lucy to leave. He couldn't come up with any. Besides, what with the comment about Lisanna and forgetting her? Lisanna was a good friend who he had thought was dead for the longest time. Lucy was his nakama and team mate. He could never forget her. The way she wrote it, it was as if he loved Lisanna.

 _Oh._

 _Oh Luce._

Jaw set in a tight line and determination shining in his eyes. Natsu moved towards the window and called to Happy.

"Happy we are going to the guild."

Happy looked up from his tears in confusion.

"Huh? Why? I thought you would be sad that Lucy left."

Natsu chuckled mirthlessly.

"I am sad that she left, but I am going to get her back."

With that, he jumped out the window.

A/N: So what do you guys think? Is it moving too fast or too slow? I really want to work on the relationship between the characters and the development in each. But I don't want to bore you with details either. Please review. Anything will be appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I wish Fairy Tail was mine but it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Chapter 4

"First you need to concentrate. Think about where you are and who you are, then become aware of your surroundings. Use your magic to feel. Spirit magic draws strength from the environment. Everything uses energy. The magic you use is just a name for the type of energy in your body. The trees, the grass, and everything else have their own energy too. You just have to learn how to use is. Once you are able to do this, you will become more aware of Acnologia's parasitic magic and be able to dispel it. Think of concentrating the power within you." Saku instructed.

Lucy sat in a lotus position at the center of the field. After the introduction of spirit magic, Saku introduced herself as a spirit mage and told Lucy of the way to nullify Acnologia's haze. Since Lucy was pregnant, Saku explained that the haze had to be expelled before Lucy gives birth or else it may have bad effects on the baby. Currently, Saku was teaching Lucy how to feel with spirit magic first.

Sweat lined at her brow as Lucy concentrated. Her eyes snapped open.

"Ugh, Saku, I can't feel anything. Are you sure this is what I am supposed to do?"

"Yes now be quiet. You are a celestial mage, it means you have an affinity for spirit magic. Think about something familiar and try to contain you magic within that. Then use it to see if you can feel any magic around us. Earthland is full of magic. Once a mage use their powers, their powers go into the surroundings. There is always a never-ending flow."

 _Something familiar, hmm, familiar… flames!_

Natsu's flames were always familiar to her. Every time they went on a mission, every day when they go to the guild, even in her apartment when Natsu would accidentally set things on fire. Lucy chuckled at the thought. Flames were always familiar to her. Flames were Natsu. Lucy shut out the painful memories regarding Natsu and Lisanna. Instead, she focused on the flames, Natsu's bright warm flames. In her mind's eye, she imagined a burning flame building up inside her. A gold, wild flame concentrated at her heart. She tried to draw all her magic into the flame, feeding it more fire, more energy and making it grow bigger.

"You did it." Saku whispered.

Lucy opened her eyes, careful to maintain the flame within. She looked at herself in surprise.

"I – I – I am glowing." She stuttered in shock. She was surrounded by a golden halo of flames. They appeared at the surface of her skin, but did not burn her.

"Yes you are." Saku smiled. "Now, try to feel that same energy you just concentrated with your magic from your environment.

This time, Lucy kept her eyes open as she looked around. She tried to recall the sensation of feeding the flame with her own magic and tried to find energy around her. She honed in on a daffodil in front of her. As she concentrated on the flame, she tried to feel with magic instead of looking for it. To her surprise, the warm glow extended out of her body like a small tendril of flame. It reached towards the daffodil and Lucy could suddenly feel its energy. Since it was a small flower, there wasn't a lot of energy but Lucy could "see" that the energy was there is small bits floating around the flower.

"Saku, I feel it."

"Describe it to me." Saku urged.

"It is really fluffy, like clouds but at the same time silky in texture. It is in small bits and pieces around the daffodil.

Saku nodded in encouragement.

"Now, try to absorb it into yourself. It will feel as if you are pulling on the energy. Use your own magic to pull it into yourself."

Lucy reached out towards the flower again. The golden flames licking at the surface of the flower, but not harming it. She imagined the energy particles floating into her flames, and her flames consuming it until they were one and the same. It was a lot harder than she had thought. There was a distinct difference between the energy in her magic and the energy of the flower. Lucy pulled and tugged, but the energy stubbornly refused to meld into her own magic. Already, Lucy was feeling the drain of keeping the flame up for so long. With a sigh, she let go of the flame and let her magic dissipate.

"I can't do it. It was like trying to meld to opposites together. Furthermore, I am already feeling a drain in my magical reserves. How is this possible Saku? I wasn't even using magic."

"Well, I suppose it is god enough for today. Instead of thinking of it as opposites, think of it ass two pieces of the same puzzle. You just have to fit them together." Saku then frowned. "Your magical reserves _are_ rather low for a celestial mage. We will have to work on that. Once you get used to spirit magic, it will lessen the strain on your magic reserves since you will be drawing energy directly from the environment. Furthermore, your magic capacity will increase along with your training. Today, you are already tired and I won't have a pregnant woman overexerting herself."

Saku looked at the sun. It had already risen above the horizon during the time Lucy started training.

"Come along now. It's time for breakfast. I'm sure the others are already up."

She then began to move back towards the direction of the house.

-Back in Magnolia-

Natsu glared at the mission board. After trying to track down Lucy's scent from her apartment with no apparent success, he returned to the guild in order to look for her. Gray and Erza were acting strange. Both of them told him that they were going on a solo mission and that he could do whatever he wanted except look for Lucy. They claimed that she needed time and that she would come back when she was ready.

Despite common belief, Natsu was not dense. Admittedly, he may have been dense when he was younger but ever since meeting Lucy he had become more aware of the world around him. After all, there was a difference in being stupid and choosing to do stupid things. He knew that Gray and Erza probably blamed him for Lucy's disappearance. He was so preoccupied with Lisanna that he forgot his partner. In his own opinion, he blamed himself too. Now he stood contemplatively before the mission board, trying to figure out which one he could take to search for Lucy. After all, it wasn't like he could announce he was looking for the blonde. Lucy explicitly stated in the letter to leave her alone and give her time. But then again, on matters regarding Lucy, Natsu rarely listened. Once, she had told him to stay out of her apartment and stop climbing in through the window. He persisted in doing what he liked and she never locked the window despite her complaints. Natsu figured that this time wouldn't be any different.

When he found out she was gone at first, disbelief rooted him to the ground, and raw pain ran through his heart. Then, he was filled with inexplicable anger at whatever that had caused Lucy to run away. Finally, when he read her letter, he was filled with determination to get her back. After their trip to Edolas, Natsu was struck by the similarities and differences between the relationship of Lucy Ashley and Natsu Dragion, to his and Lucy's relationship in Earthland. Looking at their counterparts, Natsu realized that on some deeper level, they loved each other. It was the same feeling that he had towards Lucy. Although he was elated at this, for the first time in his life, Natsu was scared. He had heard about what love could do, and he didn't want it to ruin his relationship with Lucy. If he told her his feelings and she didn't love him back, it was going to change their relationship forever. He was a coward to not tell her.

 _I won't screw up this time Luce. I promise. I won't let you go like Igneel did. I will make sure I have the power to let you stay. Luce, I was such a fool._

Natsu finally decided on the mission that would lead to where he and Lucy first met – Hargeon. The job requested a mage to capture some rogue bandits around the area. It gave him the perfect excuse to snoop around.

"Mira!" He called to the barmaid, "I'll take this one."

A/N: So I just wanted to clarify some things about the layout of the chapters. Since Lucy and Natsu are currently separated, they each have their own timeline. That is, Natsu is going to do some stuff and Lucy is going to do some stuff, but not necessarily at the same time. In the very near future, I will be merging the two timelines together when Natsu and Lucy meet. Once that happens, it will be present time all around. Thank you, those who reviewed. I am so surprised and grateful to the warm reception. Hope you enjoy this!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, Nalu would have been a done deal. Seriously.

Chapter 5:

"OH MY GOSH!" Lucy gasped, instantly drawing the attention of her fellow barmaid.

"What is it?" Shiharu asked worriedly. "Is anything wrong?"

It has been around five month since she was pregnant. Lucy stomach had quickly showed itself, but it was still at a manageable size so that she can do her daily duties at the bar and train.

"I just felt the baby kick!" Lucy squealed. Shiharu squealed with her.

"Do you mind?" She asked, tentatively reaching out her hand.

"No," Lucy relied. "Go ahead."

Shiharu gently placed her hand on Lucy's stomach. After a few seconds, she felt a faint pressure push beneath her hand before retreating. Shiharu's eyes filled with wonder.

"I never thought it would be like this. This is even more magical than magic!" Shiharu whispered.

"Yo Lucy, Shiharu, What's up?" Kiyo greeted as she walked in their daily lunch together.

"Kiyo! You won't believe what just happened! Lucy's baby kicked!" Shiharu exclaimed happily.

"Really?" Kiyo asked.

Lucy guided her hand to her stomach again. This time, the baby gave a stronger kick. Kiyo nodded in approval.

"Whether the baby is a boy or a girl, he or she will be strong, and will be able to fight." Kiyo nodded seriously before giving Lucy an approving look. Shiharu and Lucy sweat dropped.

"Thanks." Lucy said.

"So Lucy, Kiyo, what would you like for lunch today?" Shiharu asked.

"I will get a beef don and curry with water please." Kiyo replied.

"Hmm, I feel like having something light… Ah! I know. I will have strawberries dipped in vanilla, chocolate, and covered in hot sauce! And I will also have fried rice and shrimp Diablo, both with hot sauce too please. For my drink, I will have my strawberry shake mixed with chocolate and a bit of wasabi." Lucy replied.

Both girls stood by quietly for a moment. They were used to Lucy's food cravings but still.

"Well, she _is_ eating for two." Kiyo whispered to Shiharu.

Shiharu chuckled before going into the kitchen to prepare lunch. Lucy assisted her while Kiyo made the drinks. The girls chattered amiably throughout lunch talking about the events of the morning. As they started to clean up, Shiharu commented, "Saku is going to have a field day with this."

All the girls laughed.

That night, all the girls arrived home acting as if everything was normal. By dinner time, once everyone was seated Shiharu began serving out dinner.

"So did anything happen today?" Saku asked.

Kiyo recounted her day at the dojo. Apparently some kid was being stupid and broke his arm in an unauthorized fight. Kiyo made everyone run two hundred laps around the dojo, and the injured kid will serve out his sentence once he was healed.

Lucy and Shiharu recounted their own day at the bar. There weren't many travelers looking for lodging today, so most of their customers were the regulars. The innkeeper had a cold, so Shiharu took over the finances for the day while Lucy took orders as the barmaid. However, they were in close proximity of each other so when Lucy got tired, they would switch their roles.

"Lucy'sbabykickedtodayitwassogreat!" Shiharu yelled. Too excited to keep quiet about what she deemed the "great news" anymore.

"What?"

"Ah, she means my baby kicked today." Lucy supplied.

"That is very good news. Lucy, may I see the baby?" Saku asked.

Lucy nodded shyly. Saku had become the second mother figure in Lucy's life. Ever since Saku found out Lucy was pregnant, she was always careful to make sure Lucy did what she needed and knew the necessary facts over pregnancy. On most days, it was Saku who helped Lucy out of morning sickness until it went away to occasional bouts. Saku had lost her child early on due to a miscarriage. Eventually, Saku had separated away from her lover to live in by herself. Now, it was Lucy, Shiharu, and Kiyo who were like her kids.

Saku placed her hands gently on Lucy's stomach and closed her eyes and focused. Although the other two didn't know what she was doing since they didn't use magic, Lucy knew Saku was using spirit magic to examine the baby.

"It's a boy." Saku exclaimed.

"The baby is a strong and healthy boy." Saku smiled before turning around. Kiyo also smiled and Shiharu hugged Lucy in happiness, talking about baby showers and baby clothes. Lucy smiled along with them but she did not miss the shadow that passed over Saku's face when they recommenced eating.

 **Next Day**

As per usual, Lucy woke up before the dawn. She had already adjusted to her training schedule and strangely, she found out it was easier to wake up early even though she knew she was a late sleeper that would usually sleep till noon.

Drinking her daily cup of herbal tea, Lucy thought back on the progress of her training. She had progressed a lot further from her initial training. Lucy was now able to draw in a decent amount of energy from her surroundings when she meditates though Saku said it wasn't enough. It was never enough with Saku. Lucy could feel the black haze around her now. Acnologia's parasitic magic was cold, like an aura of darkness. She had tried to dispel it multiple times but none of them had any success. Lucy sighed and donned on her training attire. Saku's expression after examining her baby last night worried her. And she would be damned if she didn't get any answers regarding her child.

Once she arrived at the clearing, Lucy immediately demanded answers from Saku.

"Saku what was that last night when you examined me? Don't try to hide it. I have known you long enough to know that something troubled you." Lucy crossed her arms across her chest. "Tell me what it is."

Saku huffed.

"Don't be presumptuous child, it really doesn't fit you. Come sit down."

"I won't until you tell me what's wrong."

"Sit down."

Saku's voice this time was steely. Lucy obliged, but did not stop staring at Saku, urging her to tell her what was wrong. Saku took a deep breath.

"Yesterday, when I examined you, I told you what I saw. The boy is healthy and strong. However," Saku paused before giving Lucy a look. "We may have reached the end of the limit with Acnologia's magic. The baby is being surrounded by it."

"No! That can't be true. I always made sure to keep Acnologia's magic outside even when I couldn't dispel it. I have been doing that ever since I could control my spirit magic, this shouldn't happen! It should only be infecting me, not my child!" Lucy yelled.

Saku gave her a look of pity.

"Child, all we can do is to dispel it as soon as we can. I don't know how the baby is surrounded if you have been keeping it outside, but we have to dispel it _now."_

Lucy nodded and began concentrating. Desperation fueled her magic and she started drawing in energy rapidly. Still it wasn't enough. Saku had once told her that Acnologia's magic was dark and parasitic because it was an aberration, but when battling against it, the energy theories in spirit magic could be used. It was just the opposite of what Lucy had been doing. Instead of drawing in magic, she had to push it out.

Lucy created her flame again. Unlike when she was drawing magic where she tried to engulf the energy and tried to feed her flame, she used her flame to burn Acnologia's magic. Lucy saw Acnologia's magic as a black fog that covered her. Now, it was trying to harm her child.

 _Like I'm going to let you._

She increased the flame's output and temperature. The flames burned at the edge of the fog, but it wasn't enough to dispel it. Lucy further pushed at the fog, her flames increasing in radiance. It was so hard. The fog emitted a great pressure against her and she had to expend an enormous amount of energy back. Lucy wanted to cry in despair and give up, but if she did her child would be in danger and that was something Lucy will never accept. Despite her resolve however, she could feel her body giving out. She was reaching her magic capacity again and Saku had warned her against draining herself out. Lucy continued to push at the fog, trying to burn it out of her body. Lucy knew she had to push against Acnologia's magic. If it lingered around any longer, no one will be able to predict what may happen. Lucy gave one last shove at the fog, trying to burn her way through. She could feel the drain catching up to her. Lucy blacked out before she finished.

-Hargeon-

Natsu face palmed the floor, the facts of life reconfirmed. Trains were awful. Cold, hard, unmoving ground was much better. He waited for his stomach to settle before going to the mayor's office.

"Natsu, are you ok? You have to hurry up or else we will be late."

"I know buddy, just give me a moment."

Walking down the streets with Happy gave him a sense of nostalgia. When he first arrived at Hargeon, he was looking for his father Igneel due to the rumors of the salamander. He didn't din Igneel, but he found Lucy. Now, he walked down looking for the girl he had met the first time at Hargeon. There were no rumors, there was nothing to go on. Natsu was simply looking for her any way he can.

 _And this time I will definitely find you Luce._

As he walked by the plaza where the fake salamander once stood and the restaurant where Lucy treated him for lunch, memories of Lucy began filtering through his mind. Lucy, his wonderful, wonderful, Lucy that he could not imagine living life without. Now that she was gone, there was an emptiness in his heart. He laughed, talked, and smiled, but he was only surviving. Without Lucy, Natsu didn't feel like he was living. His only companion as the emptiness within him and the occasional pain that still came when he thought of Lucy. All he was holding on to was the hope that Lucy will come back and his own determination to bring her back. Since, Happy has been with him for the longest time, he knew the slight shifts in Natsu's mood. On many occasions, Happy tried to cheer him up but Natsu waived aside his worries. Nothing is the same without Lucy, and nothing will ever be.

 _Luce, where are you? We are all waiting for you. I am waiting for you._

"Natsu, this is it!" Happy exclaimed, pointing out to a big sign that read 'Mayor's Office.'

Natsu walked into the building. A young receptionist greeted him.

"Hello sir, are you the Fairy Tail mage we requested?"

"Yes"

"Please wait here for a while, the mayor will speak to you momentarily."

Natsu nodded and sat down in a chair by the lounge. Happy pulled out a fish as they waited and ate it quietly. The two didn't have to wait long. Soon, the mayor of Hargeon came to greet them. He was small and bulky in stature. His head seemed to be able to reflect the brightness of the light. He spoke in a friendly, and surprisingly booming voice.

"Fairy Tail mages I presume?"

"Yes, we are here on the mission to capture rogue bandits." Natsu replied.

"Great! Let me give you a briefing. These bandits have shown up the past week harassing our citizens. They usually target citizens who look weak and are walking alone at night. First, they gang up on the victim then they rob their victim of all their money. There are usually four to five cases every night and each time, things have been escalating. I am worried for the safety of my citizens, and I hope you can resolve this case quickly."

Natsu nodded.

"So I can beat these guys up right?"

"Yes."

"All right then! I'm all fired up!"

"Aye sir!"


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I think it is really depressing how every time I have to write a chapter I have to say I don't own Fairy Tail. Really wish I did though.

Chapter 6

"Shhh, I think she is beginning to wake up."

Lucy's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she notice was the pounding in her head. It _hurts_ , and Lucy just wanted to burrow back into her sleep. The second thing she noticed was that she apparently couldn't move her body since her limbs didn't respond to her brain's commands. The third thing she noticed, after the brain pounding became a dull ache, was the worried face of Shiharu peering from above with the bright morning light piercing through the window.

"Lucy, you are awake. Thank goodness, you gave us all a scare."

At first, Lucy was confused but the memories of what went on in the training field came back to her.

 _My baby!_

Lucy grabbed Shiharu's hand.

"My baby …" She groaned weakly.

"He's fine. Don't worry, you just fainted that's all." Shiharu reassured her.

Once hearing that her child was fine, Lucy allowed herself to relax.

"What happened?"

"Perhaps, it would be best if I explain." Saku stepped to her side.

"Ladies, if you will please give us a moment." Saku nodded towards Shiharu and Kiyo who were also in the room. Both of the girls glanced at each other and left. Saku handed Lucy a cup of tea and pulled up a chair.

"Drink child, it will help you regenerate yourself. Allow me to tell you what happened."

~Flashback~

Saku watched in horror as she saw Lucy faint. Foolish child! She overexerted herself even though Saku warned her not to. She was about to run up to Lucy and see if she was ok when black flames erupted from Lucy's body. Saku was worried, but she didn't want to get close in case it made things worse. The flames didn't seem to hurt Lucy, instead, it was drawing up energy from its surroundings at an unimaginable rate. If anything went wrong, there would be great repercussion. Saku stood to the side, anxious. The flames continued to grow to a 1 meter radius around Lucy's body before quickly compressing itself into a smaller flame above Lucy's heart. When the flames died down, Saku rushed to Lucy and checked if she was alright. After a detailed examination, Saku was surprised to find out that Acnologia's magic had been dispelled. There was no trace of the parasitic black haze at all. Saku was mystified, but she knew that although Lucy and the baby was safe, they still needed rest to recuperate. Saku quickly made Lucy comfortable at the base of a tree, and she went to fetch Kiyo and Shiharu to help move her.

~ End Flashback ~

"You were unconscious for three days. Although physically, there was nothing wrong with you, we were all worried when you didn't wake up." Saku finished.

Lucy was shocked. All she remember was blacking out and waking up sore all over. The two discussed the possibilities of the flame, but neither could reach a conclusive idea on what it was.

"I am just going to take it as it is." Lucy stated. "It was a miracle, I don't know how I did it, but I guess Acnologia's magic will no longer be harming me. It is good news and I am going to count my lucky stars."

"If that is what you want." Saku replied.

She moved away from her position at the bed to open the door. Shiharu tumbled in while Kiyo stood sheepishly in the hallway.

"Well girls," Saku drawled, "I am not sure what you are doing here, but somebody better be getting breakfast ready soon."

The two girls quickly nodded and went down into the kitchen. Saku gave one last glance at Lucy before she left.

"Rest here child, I will bring your breakfast up in a bit."

Lucy nodded. With that Saku closed the doors. Lucy buried herself into her bed, thoughts running wildly through her head. She didn't want to tell Saku in case it arose suspicion, but after she blacked out she felt surrounded by warmth. She could tell it came from her body, but she wasn't the one producing it.

 _It was you wasn't it little one?_

She rubbed her stomach gently. Saku's description of the flames frightened her. Black. It was the color of Acnologia's magic. But how can it be evil when the flames are so warm? Lucy refused to think that her child would be bad. It he was bad, he wouldn't have saved her. Her baby was a precious life growing inside of her. So what if he used flames? So what if the flames were black? It did not change the fact that he was her precious child.

 _Natsu, I wish you were here._

He was the expert on flames, being a fire mage himself. Lucy was sure that he would know what was wrong with their child, if anything. Pain bloomed in her heart. He would be a great dad too. Playful, kind, and dependable. Except it will never happen. Lucy had already resolved not to interfere with Natsu's life if he wanted to be with someone. Tears gently dropped from her face as she looked out the window at the sky.

\- Hargeon -

After the briefing by the mayor, Natsu went to the shopping area. Happy told him that he looked too strong to which Natsu replied "Of course, I _am_ strong!" He got a tail whack to his head. Happy calmly recounted that the bandits victimized weak people who have money. Which brings Natsu to the shopping area to shop for some clothes to cover his muscles and make him seem rich.

Natsu walked down the street nonchalantly, he wasn't too interested in buying things so he bribed Happy with a fish to purchase something for him instead. Currently, Natsu was bored. He walked out of the shopping area and found himself in a park. He was strolling along when he noticed everyone around him were holding hands. Apparently, Natsu had walked into a couple's park. Looking at these people, Natsu was painfully reminded of his bond with Lucy. Although they didn't hold hands, they went on missions together, fought together, and even spend their off days with each other. Thinking of Lucy now brought on the familiar ache back into his heart.

Natsu sat down on one of the park benches, head in his hands as he thought back to all the precious memories with Lucy. His first impression of her was that very nice and cheerful girl who bought him free food even though he really didn't do anything. Upon finding out that she was a mage, he was very excited to bring her to Fairy Tail. From then on, Lucy had being by his side fighting enemies as his team mate and supporting him as a friend. In every instance they had an enemy, whether it was the monkey on , Duke Everlue, or Oracion Seis, she was there. When Lisanna had come back from Edolas, Natsu was overjoyed that his childhood friend was back. He wanted to make sure she would be able to transition smoothly to life on Earthland. Natsu never noticed that since he was with Lisanna, no one was by Lucy's side anymore. The whole guild was ecstatic that Lisanna was back, but Lucy, having never met Lisanna, couldn't connect tot the mood. Instead, he had been an idiot who continued to play around while Lucy hid her problems away from the world. She always did that. It was one of the qualities that Natsu found vexing about her but he loved her all the more for it. He wanted her to share her own problems with him. When Lucy's father sent the Phantom Lord guild after all, Natsu was beyond furious and wanted to protect her. He vowed that nothing would take her away from Fairy Tail or himself.

Now, she left on her own volition because Natsu ignored her when she needed him the most. For someone who was her best friend and loved her, Natsu concluded that he was a jerk. Now, she may never come back.

A single tear streamed down his face and Natsu quickly brushed it away. It wouldn't do to have negative thoughts. If she won't come back, he would convince her to. Lucy thought he loved Lisanna, but it was her, his blond, beautiful, partner that always occupied his thoughts. He felt ashamed that he had forgotten her for so long after Lisanna came back. Her absence only reaffirmed her importance to him.

 _Luce, you are my life. I can't live without you._

"Natsu! Here are your clothes. Geez why are you sitting over here? I had to look _everywhere_ for you." Happy whined as he flew towards Natsu.

The blue cat dumped a shopping bag besides Natsu. Natsu peered in the bag and pulled the clothes out. Most of it was normal, there was a pair of black collared shirt and pants that could easily be passed off as formal wear, or as Natsu like to call it, "rich people clothing." However, both were made out of flexible material and gave him room to fight if he wanted to. What surprised Natsu was the coat Happy got. Like the rest of the ensemble it was black, however it wasn't any coat, it was a long overcoat with orange and red designs at the bottom. It was made to look the fire burning at the tip of the coat. Similar design was observed at the end of the sleeves, finished off with round gold cufflinks with a star design. The front was left open with matching gold buttons by the side. The coat had a relatively high collar that could cover Igneel's scarf if he wore it. Personally, Natsu thought the gold cufflinks were a bit too much but the design reminded him of Lucy so he didn't comment on it. The coat covered his Fairy Tail mark on his arm and enabled him to go incognito.

"Happy, how much did this cost?"

"Ehe, well you need to look rich. Besides you can use it for future occasions and it is fire proof too. Besides, Lucy would say you look great if you wear this."

The comment about Lucy made him freeze, but it didn't distract him from his original question.

"Happy …."

"Aye sir!"

Happy flew out of range as Natsu made a lunge for him.

That evening, a very disgruntled Natsu walked through the streets of Hargeon as Happy surveyed the town from above. Although Natsu usually didn't care much for money, since Lucy wasn't here he had to keep track of the budget. After all, it wouldn't do if he went on a mission and came back in the red. Gramps would kill him.

Natsu slowly made his way to the shadier part of town where less people roamed around. As he made his way through a small alley, his dragon senses picked up people following him – correction, a group of people following him. It was an ambush.

A big shadow stepped in front of him. It was a man with a bulky stature that screamed condescension. He held a dagger in his hand and had a cruel smile on his face.

"Lass, you know you really shouldn't walk around this part of town at night don't you? If you give us all your money, I may let you go unscathed."

"Ha, not a chance." Natsu scoffed.

A vein popped in the man's head.

"Boys, show him a good time." He hollered.

At once, bandits started coming out of the shadows and attacking him. Natsu burst his hands into flames and began punching people. When he got tired of just brawling, Natsu decided to use magic.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

He blew a breath of fire into the alley, lighting it up at night. At least half of the bandits were harmed. The rest who were relatively unharmed were quickly put down when Natsu knocked them out. Only one shadow remained standing. It was the big guy that first threatened Natsu.

"So you are the salamander." He commented, "I knew I heard that the mayor hired some mage but to think it is the Salamander himself. Coincidentally, I am also a fire user. Why don't we have a match hmm?"

He didn't wait for Natsu's reply. Instead the man launched himself at Natsu, throwing purple fireballs from his hand. Natsu deftly avoided some and ate the rest.

"H-How?" The man stammered.

"Your fire sucks." Natsu replied.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Natsu rushed towards the man and began punching him, trying to make him unconscious. Despite being beaten, the man was surprisingly strong. He grabbed Natsu's hand and muttered, "Dark Magic: Nightmare!"

A black star appeared on the back of Natsu's hand. Natsu didn't pay any heed to it but instead wrestled his hand out of the guy's grasp and delivered the final punch. The man laughed at him before going unconscious.

"Happy!" He called up to the sky.

"Do you still have the ropes?"

"Aye Sir!"

Happy flew overhead and dropped the ropes down to Natsu.

"Thanks Buddy."

Natsu began tying up all of the bandits together and prepared to haul them over to the authorities. He looked at he strange mark on his hand, but decided to ignore it since it wasn't doing anything.

A/N: Finally, chapter finished. I had the hardest time writing this chapter in both Lucy's and Natsu's part – especially Natsu. For Lucy, I wanted to convey her motherly love and acceptance of her child. I had to think about it, but it wasn't that bad to write. For Natsu however, I wanted him to have some alone time to think about his actions concerning Lucy and Lisanna. Ever since Lucy left, Natsu has been trying to find her without really any time for reflection. I wanted to use this chapter for Natsu to reflect, but I didn't want to portray him as melodramatic. I wanted the guilt to hit him, but I also didn't want to lay it on too thick. After all, I think he is the kind of guy to be sad but bounce back up determined. Please tell me what you guys think. Thanks.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I think it is really depressing how every time I have to write a chapter I have to say I don't own Fairy Tail. Really wish I did though.

Chapter 7

It was night time. The pale moon shone in the sky and soft light filtered through the windows. It has been several months since the incident during Lucy's training. Lucy has been living her life normally and peacefully though as her stomach grew, it became increasingly difficult for her to do things. By now, Lucy mostly lived with Saku at home working on her novel every day.

She was working on her novel when she suddenly felt wet between her legs. Lucy paused.

"Sakuuu!"

She yelled. Saku quickly opened up her door.

"What's wrong Lucy?" She asked,

"Saku, I think my water broke." Lucy whispered.

"MY WATER BROKE!"

Lucy was starting to hyperventilate. This was really happening, she was about to give birth. She felt excited yet nervous at the same time. What if something went wrong? Lucy read enough books to know all the accidents that could happen.

Saku immediately rushed to Lucy's side.

"Shiharu, prepare hot water, Kiyo, get the midwife. It's time!" Saku yelled.

"Okay!"

"On it!"

Saku helped Lucy to her bed and Shiharu appeared with hot water. Lucy could feel the contractions coming on. It was uncomfortable and painful. After a while, Kiyo appeared with the midwife. Lucy could feel the contractions become closer interval.

"It is going to be okay. Just push when I tell you to." The midwife soothed her.

Lucy gritted her teeth and nodded. When one of the contractions became particularly painful, she screamed.

"Ok, start pushing now."

Lucy exerted all of her will and energy into pushing her baby out. Although the actual process did not take long, Lucy felt as if she was stuck in an endless time of pain as she tried to bring her child into the world.

"Aarrgh!" Lucy screamed and gave one final push.

"It's a boy, a health boy. Around 8 pounds." The midwife announced.

Lucy panted, trying to catch her breath. She reached out for her baby and took him into her arms. He was chubby with cute little cheeks. His hair was a mix between Natsu's and her hair color. Lucy wanted to call it peach, but it leaned more towards the pink side. She could just imagine him protesting like Natsu did if she insisted on calling it peach. There was however, a strand of dark hair at the front of his head. Saku commented that it was probably an after effect of Acnologia's magic. After all, the boy looked completely fine. Lucy was worried but decided not to it bother her. Today was a day of celebration, and she will not let anything ruin it.

She gently kissed him on the forehead.

"Hello, Shunko." She whispered.

Shunko's brilliant dark eyes opened and looked at her curiously. He started blowing raspberries at her and Lucy chuckled.

"Nice to meet you too."

She cuddled the small baby. During this exchange, the rest of the occupants stood to the side, giving the new mother time to get acquainted with her child. Since the birth was over, the midwife had left after giving a congratulations. Shiharu, Kiyo, and Saku stood by the side of the bed, watching Lucy and the baby.

"Oh he is soooooo cute!" Shiharu squealed.

"Can I hold him?"

Lucy nodded and handed Shunko to Shiharu. Shiharu immediately began making funny faces and cooing at the baby. Kiyo glanced over her shoulder and smile. Saku however remained looking at Lucy. Noticing Saku's gaze, Lucy gave a questioning look.

"We need to talk." Saku stated firmly.

"Okay. Shiharu, could you and Kiyo watch Shunko for a minute for me?" Lucy asked.

The two girls nodded and walked out. Shiharu was more than willing to play with the baby. Saku began talking.

"I am worried Lucy."

"About what?"

"The child, his hair is the telltale sign of Acnologia's magic. I had my suspicions, but I think that he was the one who produced the black flames."

Lucy remained silent, contemplating what Saku just said.

"Saku, what he did back there saved my life, it saved both of our lives. If he didn't dispel Acnologia's magic, who knows what may have gone wrong? So what if it is the same color as Acnologia's magic? It is just a color, it doesn't mean anything."

"I don't know Lucy, but I want you to be careful."

"You are asking to be careful of my own child? That is ridiculous. I am going to care for him and love him with all my heart. He is my child, Saku. Please understand." Lucy pleaded.

Saku sighed and shook her head.

"Whatever happens, I wish you the best." She muttered softly.

"I will go tell Shiharu to bring Shunko back in."

With that, Saku walked out of her room and closed the door, leaving a very tired and emotionally drained Lucy contemplating the many problems of life in the room.

-Magnolia-

"Hey everyone, I'm back!" Natsu burst through the guild doors.

"Hey Natsu, how was the mission?" Mirajane greeted from the bar.

"Easy. I just had to catch some bandit." Natsu replied.

"Ah ha ha, it wasn't _that_ bad, can I have some fire whiskey?"

Natsu shuddered to remember when he had gone around the city dragging the bandits. Technically, _he_ didn't damage the city per se, rather the bandits, after regaining conscious for a while struggle so much that Natsu had to use a _little_ force to quiet them down again. He _only_ did it because he was forced to.

With one gulp he downed the drink and left the jewels for the drink on the bar counter.

"See you later Mira."

"Bye Natsu."

Mira looked at the retreating figure of Natsu worriedly, she noticed that he was a lot more subdued than normal. Normally, Natsu would at least stay in the guild and talk, if not fight for a bit. Now, he simply greeted everyone, ate some food, and left. She hasn't heard any news from Gray and Erza yet, and she was also worried about them too.

 _Lucy, we need you here._

Mirajane sighed.

Natsu walked back slowly to his apartment, taking the detour to Lucy's apartment on his way back. The afternoon sun cast pale streaks of pink and orange across the sky. The people around him were chattering happily, the Sakura festival was here, and many couples walked by Natsu holding hands. Natsu could only remember back to the first time he brought Lucy to the Sakura viewing. She got sick, so Natsu brought the tree to her instead. Those were good times.

When Natsu got home, he told Happy that he was tired and was going to sleep. Happy gave Natsu a worried look but didn't comment on anything.

~Dream~

The sun was shining outside beautifully today, a seven user old Natsu brought back a huge egg with a swirly pattern to the guild.

"Guys! Look at what I found! I got a dragon egg!" Little Natsu announced. The rest of the guild cheered, some were skeptical and teased Natsu about the egg but Natsu stubbornly held onto the notion that it was a dragon egg. Lisanna walked up to Natsu and told him that she would help him raise the egg. Natsu felt very happy that his friend volunteered to help him.

The dream shifted, now a teenage Natsu sat at the bar when the Strauss siblings came back from their latest mission.

"Where is Lisanna?" Natsu asked.

The two siblings could only shake their heads and cry as they broke the need that their sister was dead. Natsu felt a tremendous amount of sadness and anger that his friend was deceased.

The dream shifted again. This time, it was located in Hargeon. Lucy was walking excitedly by him, talking about a new book she read. Natsu just smiled by her side and listened to the sound of her voice animatedly talking about ad subject she loves. However, a quick shadow suddenly appeared in front of them and tore Lucy away from his side. It started running and Natsu ran after them.

"Luce!" Natsu screamed.

The shadow stopped abruptly at the corner of an alley. Lucy did not respond to Natsu's call immediately. Her captor remained in the shadows, but Lucy was still standing slightly in the sun at the edge of the alley. Suddenly, she was covered in bruises. Scratches lined upon her skin and smears of blood could be seen everywhere. Her head turned to Natsu, her eyes were soulless and empty, a complete contrast to the usual warm, melting brown.

"Natsu, why did you leave me? I waited for so long, it's all your fault."

Lucy began coughing up blood in huge amounts. Natsu tried to run to her but found a glass wall dividing them. It didn't break no matter what Natsu tried. The shadow began stepping into the light. To Natsu's horror, the shadow was an exact replica of himself. It stood there holding a bloody Lucy in its hands while smirking cruelly. With its free hand, the Natsu copy created a huge flame and began burning Lucy. Lucy struggled, wailed, and screamed. The sound broke Natsu's heart. He would do anything to stop it. Natsu pounded on the glass, and tried to use his fire to melt it but he couldn't activate his magic for some reason. Tears began to stream down his face as he called Lucy's name repeatedly.

Lucy remained unresponsive to his calls on the other side. Her eyes were silent and accusing as the copy Natsu burned her. She had ceased to scream, but the silence was all the more deafening.

"You did this to me Natsu."

She whispered the words, but Natsu could hear it as clearly as if she screamed them. She never closed her eyes as she burned to ash. Her eyes kept staring at him until she was completely done. The copy Natsu sent Natsu a taunting grin and laughed. Natsu began pounding on the glass harder than ever before. His sight was blurry from the tears but his strength multiplied as he thought about Lucy being killed by his copy.

At last, the glass shattered, raining crystals on the ground. Natsu made a mad dash for the copy but the copy kept dancing out of his reach.

"You will never catch me," it mocked, "I am part of you."

The shadow grinned and ran straight into Natsu.

~dream end~

Natsu awoke with a start. Sweat covered his body everywhere and he dashed to the bathroom and puked. As he washed his hands after he was done, he noticed a faint glow on the ark that the bandit had given to him.

A/N: I have decided on my official release schedule. One to two chapters will be released very Monday (it depends on how many I write each week) so yep, there it is. So many plot bunnies … R&R, Hope you enjoyed it thanks.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is not mine. There, the secret's out.

Chapter 8

 _3 years later_

"Lucy Heartfilia! I know you can do this. Now concentrate!" Saku ordered as she made Lucy jog around the clearing.

"But Saku, this is the tenth lap!" Lucy whined.

"And you have ten more to go." Saku replied. Shunko babbled happily at her side.

It has been three years since Shunko has been born. Three, stressful, tiring years. From the constant lack of sleep when Shunko was a newborn to the heart pounding anxiousness Lucy felt when Shunko learned to walk, the years have been wearing her thin. However, she would not trade it for anything in the world. It has been an eye-opening experience raising her son. Her Shunko had the knack for trouble that his father had, but he was smart like herself. Lucy only wished that she would not find a knack for violence in Shunko as he grew older. If he had all three traits, trouble, brains, and brawns, that was a disaster recipe right there.

Lucy panted as she finished her twentieth lap. Ever since her pregnancy, Saku had added physical training to keep her fit. She had asked Kiyo to create a training regime for Lucy and made Lucy follow it religiously every day. Furthermore, Kiyo was also giving her afternoon trainings with weapons on the weekends as a favor. She could feel that the training was making her stronger, but it wasn't enough. She was not strong enough for Natsu to depend on her. She still wasn't as strong as Erza though that may be impossible to achieve. But Lucy has long since erased the word "impossible" from her dictionary.

As she cooled down from her run, Lucy got into lotus position and began meditating. She had found out that meditating helped her calm herself and clear her head. When she meditated, she was able to think clearer and separate her thoughts and examine them one by one. It was also the best way to improve her Spirit magic through increasing her mental capacity. As they delved deeper in training, Saku had explained that Spirit Magic was a very flexible form of magic. Besides recycling the energy from the environment, the only limit to Spirit magic was one's own belief and imagination. Advanced spirit magic users could manipulate their magic to anything they want. For example, a sword, a whip, or an armor. It was actually a lot like ex-equip, except none of the different attributes are applied since the user using energy to create them. However, the things they create can be fortified by their will. Therefore, the greater the mental capacity, the better quality of the material. The greater the magic reserves, the greater the quantity. Therefore, Saku had made Lucy train her physical, mental, and magical capacity every day. Physical training was accomplished by working out. Meditation and extended use of her magic helped out with the latter two.

Lucy began drawing from the flames inside of herself, concentrating it onto her hands until a luminous ball of golden flame materialized. Lucy carefully took the ball and threw it at a tree. The impact was big, but certainly not as big as Natsu's fists. But it made up in mobility. Unlike Natsu's flame which disappeared once it hit something, given enough concentration, Lucy could draw back her flames and direct it to go where she wants. Her spirit magic prevented the flames from going back to the environment unless she let go. It gets even more difficult when Lucy had more than one ting created. Whether it was three balls or three daggers, it required a lot more concentration directing where _everything_ went. Lucy had taken up to doing multitasking exercises everywhere. Whether it was with her job with Shiharu or at home, Lucy always did two or more tasks at once while trying to maintain the same level of concentration on both of them. It had gotten her one talent she liked. She was now ambidextrous. Apparently trying to write different things on two pages of paper at once did that to a person.

However, it was still far from her goal Lucy wanted to at least be able to control five creations simultaneously. Currently, she could only control two, due to the nature of her daily tasks. When meditating, she could sometime control three if she tried. Although she hated to admit it, Lucy missed her old life of defeating monsters and helping towns. Lucy actually _missed_ fighting. Perhaps, it was just too peaceful in the village, but Lucy grew restless. Her only joy in life was Shunko. Her precious little boy.

A loud wail resounded in the air. Shunko apparently had fell while chasing butterflies and Saku was fussing around him trying to calm him down. Getting out of lotus position, Lucy walked to her son and lifted up in the air.

"Now young man, you shouldn't cry because you fell. Saku would worry too much." Lucy admonished gently.

"It's okay, Shunko. It's just a scrap."

"I'm sure the child will _totally_ listen to you." Saku commented sarcastically, her mood sour from the interrupted training and worry for Shunko.

Lucy gave her an exasperated look.

"Well I can try can't I?"

Seeing that Lucy was going to take care of Shunko, Saku sighed.

"Lucy, I'm going back to make breakfast. I trust that you can come back safely?"

Lucy nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be back once I calm down Shunko."

"Be careful." Saku gave Shunko a head rub.

"Don't stress out your mother _too_ much." She told the toddler. Shunko was still crying and only blinked at Saku. Saku gave a small smile and began walking back to the house.

Lucy set Shunko down when he stopped wailing and looked up at her with large teary eyes.

"Here."

Lucy formed a golden ball in her hands and gave it to Shunko. Shunko looked at it curiously and began playing with it. Having done this enough times before, Lucy focused only on maintaining the form of the ball, but not where it went. Once Shunko began giggling again, Lucy felt the mischievous to make the ball leap out of his hands into the air, spinning around Shunko. At this, Shunko laughed the reached for the ball, however never quite catching it as Lucy made it just out of his grasp. After several attempts, Shunko looked at the ball and made a tugging motion in the air.

Surprisingly, the ball flew towards him and Lucy's concentration broke. She gasped as she looked at her son unknowingly use spirit magic to maintain the ball and play with it. Lucy doubted Shunko knew what he was doing, but it still made pride bloom in her heart that her son was going to be such a talented mage. However, this feeling soon turned to concern as the ball changed colors. The gold ebbed into silver and eventually faded to black. Lucy looked in growing horror as she recognized the flame.

 _Acnologia._

"Shunko!"

Lucy yelled, gaining Shunko's attention at her sudden outburst. She quickly took the now black flaming ball out of her sons hand and flung it away from them. Watching in grim satisfaction as the ball dissipated into the air. Seeing his new toy gone, Shunko began crying again.

Lucy wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. It was the first time that Shunko had showed any sign of his magic. But for his flames to be black like Acnologia's … Lucy refused to think about the implications. She scooped up Shunko into her arms.

"Shunko, Shunko, honey you have to listen to me." Lucy murmured softly.

"You can't use your flames. Don't show _anyone_ your flames."

Shunko looked at his mom in confusion before lighting one of his fists in black flames

"No showy pretty?" He asked.

"No showy." Lucy replied as she closed her hand around his fist.

"But I just found pretty. Pretty is sparkly." Shunko whined.

"Shunko, Pretty is bad. The flames will hurt people." Lucy replied. Shunko frowned before settling into a sullen expression. He knew that "bad" and "hurt" was never good together. They always gave him ouchies.

"No showy pretty." Shunko mumbled.

Lucy smiled and kissed him on the head.

"Good boy." She murmured as she carried him through the woods back home.

That day, Lucy did not speak much during breakfast. Instead, she thought of the events that happened while she was training. She thought of her son and herself, ad came to a decision. After breakfast, Lucy asked for a day off and went to see Saku in her office at the boarding house.

"Saku I need to talk to you." Lucy spoke with a serious expression on her face. If Saku was surprised, she didn't show it.

"What is it Lucy?" she asked.

"Something happened at training after you came back. Shunko showed his magic."

"Really? So early? That's great news Lucy you should be proud, he is going to be very powerful." Saku smiled and congratulated. "What is his magic? Is he a spirit magic user?"

"I think so, but I am not sure. I think he is also a fire user though. He probably takes after his father."

Saku hmmed.

"I wouldn't be too surprised Lucy. It is not that uncommon for a child to know both magic that their parents use. He probably just have one where his aptitude is better than the other. He –"

"That's not the point Saku." Lucy interrupted.

"His magic …his magic is black, like the color of Acnologia's fire!"

Saku was shocked.

"What! Child, do you know what this means?" Saku paused, "If anyone finds out about it and makes the connection, he is going to be in so much danger. I can't believe that Acnologia's magic wasn't dispelled. I couldn't find any trace of it."

"I know, I know. Now it's in Shunko. Oh, what am I going to do Saku? What will happen to my poor baby." Lucy was breaking down in tears.

"Hush child. It will be okay." Saku went and hugged Lucy gently. "Have you told him not to show it to anyone?"

Lucy nodded.

"Yeah, I have come to a decision."

"What is it child?"

"I have to take Shunko with me and leave. If we stay around, I fear that it will only bring harm to you and the villagers. I can't do that to you guys. You have done too much for me. I will go to one of the best healers I know. Porlyusica. I am sure she will know what to do."

"Lucy, you know Shunko is in no condition to travel. He is only three years old. Furthermore, you haven't completed your training yet. I can't allow you to go."

"Please Saku, it's my only chance." Lucy pleaded.

Saku sighed.

"Fine. But Shunko stays with me. No, don't try to change my mind. I have come to regard you as my child, and him as my grandson. I will not send both of you on an ambiguous journey. Don't worry, I will take care of Shunko here. You do what you need to do."

Lucy lowered her head and thought deeply about her options. What Saku said was true. Shunko was too young to make the journey. If she put her son's best interest first, it would be better if he stayed instead.

"Thank you Saku."

Saku nodded.

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"It shouldn't take longer than a few weeks."

-Natsu -

Natsu looked at his surroundings bleakly. Three years. It has been three long years since Lucy left. Every night of those three years. Nightmare had plagued him in his sleep. With their combined effort in healing and research, Wendy and Levy concluded that it was a curse. Natsu wanted to laugh. It served him right. For every night, the same dream would repeat itself over and over again. It always ended with Lucy dying. Sometimes, other guild members would be present in his dream. But the shadow Natsu and Lucy was in every one of them. Usually shadow Natsu killed or torture Lucy, it didn't matter how, Lucy always died. It had become worse as time went on, the dream would start out nice, sometimes with the both of them as a happy family. Then the shadow Natsu would take his place and destroy everything. Last year, Levy finally found a book which talked about the nightmare curse in it. Apparently, he had to find the source of his fear and overcome it in order to break the curse. It meant that he had to find Lucy.

Despite their protests at Lucy's wishes in the letter, Erza, Gray and the Master eventually gave in and allowed him to pursue her. Finally, he didn't have to go on missions in the middle of nowhere hoping to find her. Instead, he took a temporary leave of the guild. It has been one year since, and Natsu had been aimlessly wandering around villages asking about a blonde girl from three years ago. He had been to so many places, yet there was no trace of Lucy. It as a tiring search, and Natsu felt very jaded. He helped people when he could on his travels but nothing filled the Lucy shaped void in his heart.

His stomach grumbled and he wandered into a nearby inn. He stalked towards the bar and plopped himself down on a stool.

"You look like one weary traveler. Going anywhere?" a happy voice asked him. It was the barmaid. She reminded him distinctly of Mira but he ignored her question, not in any mood for conversation.

"Fire Whiskey and Chicken please." He ordered.

The barmaid frowned.

"Coming right up. The name's Shiharu. Call if you need anything."

A/N: Okay, so this chapter had a lot less Natsu POV than the others, but I had to concentrate on Lucy and Shunko's development. Can anyone guess where he arrived? Look forward to next chapter guys! Natsu _will_ be meeting someone very important to him. He just doesn't know it yet. *hint hint wink wink. R &R Thank you everyone for the reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: We all know we wished we owed Fairy Tail, but the honor belongs to none other than the great Hiro M.

Chapter 9

Lucy stumbled blindly in the East forest, or at least what she hoped was the east forest. Since it was outside of Magnolia, Lucy had been on alert ever since she stepped of the train platform. She hoped Natsu wouldn't be here or else he would be able to track her through scent. As an extra precaution she had sprayed an ungodly amount of perfume on herself (the type that Natsu hated) and wished for the best. Now after two weeks, she still didn't know where she was going outside of Magnolia.

 _Damn, I should have paid more attention last time we came. It has already been two weeks! How does Porlyusica hid herself so well. Damn. I have to talk to her and get back home soon or else Shunko and Saku will worry._

Lucy thought darkly as she tripped over a tree branch. So far, the forest was relatively peaceful with small squirrels and bunnies running around. However, Lucy was still cautious of the most dangerous predator in the forest. The Vulcans. Natsu was with her last time, but this time, she was just by herself. It made her fearful but also excited to see how far she grew during the past year with Saku. It would be the first real battle she had since leaving Fairy Tail. It would be her first battle to use Spirit Magic in.

Despite her anticipation however, she was still stuck in her current dilemma. She had _no_ idea how to get to Porlyusica's house or _where_ it was.

"Damn it! I give up!" Lucy screamed and kicked a tree. The birds in the branches all dispersed in a flurry of squawks. Suddenly, Lucy heard a crash and thudding footsteps going in her direction. In fact, the amount of footsteps led her to believe that there were more than one person or thing coming towards her. Lucy hid herself in the bushes and waited.

Soon enough, a group of Vulcans arrived at the spot where Lucy kicked the tree. The chattered aimlessly amongst themselves but did not see to be leaving anytime soon. It was strange seeing Vulcans traveling in a group since her previous encounters with them were all with solo Vulcans, but Lucy thought the best course of action was to retreat for a while. Of course, she _really_ did want to try her magic but taking on a group of monsters on her first time was a bit too much of a risk for her liking.

 _Saku was so right that Shunko wasn't ready. By now, I wouldn't be surprised if he was bawling his yes out alerting everyone of where we are._

She chuckled quietly as she began backing away. A twig snapped and the Vulcans focused their attention on her hiding spot as they slowly approached.

"Oh No, no, no, no." Lucy muttered. As she tried to back away faster. It wasn't working and she gave up and began sprinting instead.

One of the Vulcans spotted her and screamed.

"WOMAN! BREASTS!"

The other Vulcans snapped their attention onto her, a perverted look taking over their face. Lucy clenched her jaws, her face a mask of determination. If these Vulcans never learned … well they got what's coming for them then.

Lucy reached inside herself and created her flame again. This time when she used magic, she created her flame in the shape of a whip. Unlike her fleur d' etoile, this whip was made out of pure golden flame and Lucy could freely extend it or retract it. In fact recently, she learned that her Spirit Magic was a lot like Erza's ex-quip. She could also form armor with her magic except it didn't give her any special attributes like Erza's armor did. Her spirit armor just protects her like a regular armor. Theoretically, Lucy could also transform her opponent's magic to her own through the contact between her own magic – in this case, her armor – and theirs but she hasn't quite mastered how to do that yet.

Feeling the familiar feeling of her magic coating around her and the whip around her hands, Lucy prepared herself for the attack. One of the Vulcans lashed out and Lucy swung her whip to hit him fairly across the chest. The Vulcan stepped back and moaned before falling unconscious on his back, a dark, red, gash appearing in his chest.

The other Vulcans looked at their fallen companion and began grunting amongst themselves. The stranger had hurt on of their own, and the whole tribe was feeling vengeful.

They all attacked at once. Lucy flicked her whip back and forth between them. She was actually able to keep up with all the Vulcans for a while. When she finally felt the pressure of the magical drain, Lucy quickly strengthened her whip and viciously attacked the Vulcans. She was finally able to take a breath when all of them laid across the ground, unconscious and sporting some nasty wounds.

Lucy took stepped across the bodies and quickly made her way across the battle. Daylight was fading and night would soon be here. Her battle was longer than she anticipated but Lucy was glad she was able to hold her ground against the Vulcans. Spotting a easily climbable tree, Lucy climbed up and tried to make herself comfortable amongst the branches. Certainly it was not as comfortable as her bed at all, but beggars can't be choosers. The blond quickly fell into a dreamless sleep as exhaustion from the day overtook her.

~ Small village somewhere ~

Natsu groaned as he walked around the new village. After he ate a bite at the inn, he went around the market asking if there were any mage in the village that could help him break the curse. There wasn't any mages here, just a person who taught at a martial arts dojo. However, he did hear about an old woman well versed in medicine who lived at the edge of the village. But the bad news was that the old man who had told him that also told him the same old lady could be quite vicious to those she did not like and also stopped practicing medicine years ago. In retrospect, Natsu wondered if he should have just gone to Porlyusica. But from recent news, Porlyusica has stated that she wanted no visitors in her forest and that they would be kicked out if she found them. Knowing her temperament, Natsu felt that it would do more harm than good to actually visit her.

He was walking near the edge of town around the forest looking for the house of the old lady when he heard a small rustle in the bushes. Cautious, but mainly curious, Natsu went to investigate. He found a small child huddled up besides the tree crying silently. Natsu was slightly surprised that he couldn't smell him earlier. The child gave off a very faint scent, unnaturally so as if something was suppressing it. Natsu's mind would have gone off and wondered at the possibilities but he also had more pressing matters to attend to like why was a kid crying by the edge of a forest.

"Hey kid, are you okay?"

The child jumped in surprise, his crying momentarily forgotten at the arrival of the stranger. He was mostly covered in the shadows so Natsu couldn't see what the kid looked like clearly. When he saw that it was Natsu, the child began crying again, this time bawling his eyes out and wailing. Natsu was beginning to panic. He never had to deal with a kid before. Sure, he took care of Happy, but Happy was a cat and cats knew how to take care of themselves for the most part. Natsu rummaged around hi bag to see if he happened to have candy or food to give to the kid. Food always made him happy, he figured it should make the kid happy too.

Coming out with no luck, Natsu sighed. He didn't want to leave the kid alone, but the kid didn't seem like he was going to stop crying anytime soon. Natsu really wanted to bring the kid into town but having a kid crying by you when you have no relation whatsoever with them doesn't really give off a good vibe. Natsu flopped down onto the ground and stared at the kid.

"Where are your parents?" He asked. The kid continued crying as if he didn't hear him, if he did, he gave no response.

Natsu sighed again and resigned him to babysitting a strange kid by the edge of the forest. He supposed that he could leave him there, but the situation reminded him too much of himself when Igneel disappeared and he was in the forest alone.

Out of boredom, Natsu created small balls of fire on his fingertips and began playing with them. He thought about Lucy and what he could do to bring her back. With every day that passed without her, the void in his heart grew bigger. Now that he realized how important she was to him, he wanted to yell at his past self for ever letting her go.

"Mister, you have pretty too!" The boy was no longer crying. Instead, he stared at Natsu's flames with apt interest.

"Yeah, I learned them from a dragon. I'm a dragonslayer. By the way these are called flames, not pretty. Calling it pretty makes it sound childish. You should call it … hmm…" Natsu thought for a moment, "Dragon Fire!"

"Oh." The kid's face fell. "That's not cool."

"What do you mean that's not cool? Dragons are awesome!" Natsu retorted

"But mommy doesn't like dragons. Whenever she talks about dragons in my bedtime stories, mommy gets sad. I don't like things that make mommy sad." The child huffed.

Natsu frowned. "Well, if that dragon made your mom sad, that must be a very bad dragon. I promise, my dragon is super nice. I bet your mommy would be happy if she met him."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

The kid smiled, but his face soon looked troubled again.

"But mommy won't be able to meet your dragon Mister. She's gone. Whenever I ask, they say that she will be back soon, but they never say when."

Natsu felt a pain in his heart. So the kid was like him, someone without family. He gave the kid a reassuring grin.

"You know what? I promise I will help you find your mom. No matter what. So you can just rest easy and be assured that she will be back someday. What is your name?"

"Shunko."

"My name is Natsu. How about I get you back to the village, and we try to find your mom there?" Natsu suggested and offered his hand.

Shunko gave a small nod and took his hand. As Natsu stepped in the light, he noticed the unusual hair coloring of the kid. It was … peachy with a lock of black hair. It was unusual to meet other people with this color but Natsu thought it was interesting.

As they walked back to the village, Natsu began telling Shunko about all the adventures he and Lucy had. Although Shunko didn't understand some of the things the dragonslayer rambled about, he walked and listened with his full attention.

A/N: So Sorry for the late update. I'm finally in college! This is the first week, and Monday was the first day of classes which is why this was delayed. Anyways, for my very observant readers who picked up hints about Shunko's identity that Natsu didn't pick up on, I'm going to say yes, it is on purpose. So look forward to the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews, hoped you enjoyed it.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail may not be mine, but the cute cuddly Shunko is!

Chapter 10

Lucy blearily opened her eyes. Her visions was distorted for a while before she focused onto the ceiling illuminated by the warm light of the fire. At first, she couldn't place where she was, there was a nice scent floating in the air. It smelled delicious and Lucy's stomach growled.

Getting out of bed, Lucy wandered throughout the house, trying to find the source of the smell. The house she noted, was a bit weird. All of the walls, from the floor, to the ceiling was made of wood. Normally, this wouldn't bother her since most houses are constructed out of wood but this one, it seemed as if it was _carved_ out of wood. It was most interesting. That, and the fact that there were no windows in the house so far.

Her route lead her to the sound of softly clanking metal behind a door. Lucy tentatively opened the door to find a pink haired woman making soup in a kitchen, which was perhaps, the only room in the house not made out of wood.

"Porlyusica!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Ah, so you are awake girl." Porlyusica commented. She turned the fire down to low and let the soup si as she turned to the girl.

"Why are you in my forest? I certainly did not expect to find a girl fainted due to over exhaustion on my daily patrol."

"I was looking for you."

"Why?"

"Porlyusica, you have to help me please. Do you remember me? My name is Lucy Heartfilia, from Fairy Tail. You have treated my master, Makarov Dreyar, and my guild mate Gray Fullbuster before."

"So you are one of Makarov's kids."

Porlyusica paused and resumed stirring her soup, once again turning the fire back to high. She gave no indication that she knew Lucy was there. In fact, Lucy had thought that Porlyusica had forgotten about her and was about to comment when Porlyusica shoved bowl of soup towards her.

"Eat. You need to get your strength first. Anything you have to say after that can wait until later." She commanded.

Lucy gratefully accepted the bowl of soup, her senses overwhelmed by the flagrant flavor. After days of foraging for whatever she could find in the forest, this was a welcomed dinner. She had tried hunting, but without Natsu's fire to cook things for her, it was very hard to eat the things raw. Her own essence flames was just a manifestation of energy. Having spirit magic did not make her a fire mage, and she was unable to cook the food using her own flames.

Lucy had several bowls of soup before she was finally satisfied. She set down her spoon and turned to Porlyusica who was watching her quietly.

"I won't beat around the bush. I came to see if you have any information." Lucy stated.

"Information on what?" Porlyusica asked.

"About Acnologia, and …" Lucy hesitated, "my son."

"You have a son child?" Porlyusica exclaimed in surprise.

Lucy nodded and proceeded to tell Porlyusica all that happened. She knew that she could trust the healer. Porlyusica may be a human hater, but she was a great listener, and this would be part of the doctor patient confidentiality. Lucy briefly recounted the attack on Tenrou Island which Porlyusica knew about, then her relationship with Natsu, the new village, the black haze, and finally her son and his mysterious powers.

Throughout her story, Porlyusica remained quiet, a contemplative look on her face as she rolled and examined the facts and ideas in her head. She had several possible conjectures about what has happened to Shunko's magic, but she was not unsure without definite proof. When Lucy finished telling her story, she waited expectantly for Porlyusica's answer.

Porlyusica sighed.

"Lucy, I would love to help but even my powers have their limits. I would have to meet Shunko personally to see how his magic has been affected by Acnologia."

Lucy frowned. She was aware of this outcome, but she was still worried. Shunko was still young, and she would prefer not to bring him out from the village yet.

"Shunko is too young." Lucy replied. "I don't think I can take him out yet. I am afraid of what will happen if he loses control of his powers."

"Alright then" Porlyusica conceded. "I will try to look into your memories and see what happened then. I need to see with my own eyes what happened, not just hear your story. It will be painful, and certainly not effective as bringing him to me in person. I can probably teach you some counters against his powers but there is no guarantee that they will work. Are you still willing to go through with it?"

Lucy nodded her affirmation. Porlyusica signaled her to follow as she stepped out the door. She led Lucy through an intricate set of passages throughout her home. Lucy felt as if she was walking in a maze. If she lost sight of Porlyusica, she felt that she may be lost forever. Finally, the hallway opened up into a wide circular room. There were tables pushed against the wall with various ingredients and books laid out. Porlyusica told Lucy to sit in the middle of the room and she turned to one of the tables and begin putting seemingly random ingredients into a bowl. She then began grinding the ingredients together until black paste was created. Porlyusica took a brush and began painting symbols onto the floor around Lucy. When the spell circle was formed, Porlyusica turned to Lucy and began giving her instructions.

"Lucy, I am going to start the spell. Once the spell has started, you will be put in a trance state. Once that happens, I will be using my powers to view your memory. It will hurt, because the brain has a natural barrier against intrusions. But you have to relax and let me in or else it will be even more painful."

Lucy nodded and took a deep breath in preparation.

Porlyusica began chanting softly, slowly raising her voice in volume. As her voice rose, a glow began to emanate from the symbols on the floor. Lucy felt her eyes become heavy and slipped into an almost meditative trance.

When the chant was complete, the black paint was glowing white on the floor. Porlyusica slowly extended her mental powers to focus on Lucy. Lucy felt the foreign presence poking at her mind and she reflexively pushed against the presence. Immediately, a backlash of power washed over her and she cringed in pain. Remembering Porlyusica's earlier instructions, Lucy took some time to compose and calm herself. She couldn't feel her physical body, but she was very aware of her own self. Everything was metaphysical. The strange presence prodded against her brain again. This time Lucy reigned in the urge to resist. A steady pressure was applied to her mind as Porlyusica looked through her memories. It hurt, but it wasn't unbearable. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the pressure lightened and the pain receded. Lucy felt the sensations of her physical body come back to her.

Lucy opened her eyes to a concerned Porlyusica looking down at her. Lucy groggily sat up as she tried to ameliorate the pounding in her head.

"Did it work?"

Porlyusica nodded. "Yes, I was able to observe the effects clearly. From all the past events you told me, I have several theories about what happened. However, I am still unsure which would be true unless I examine Shunko myself. But I could make you some potions to help with controlling the power for a while."

"Thank god." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.

"How long will it take?"

"Perhaps two to three weeks. You are welcome to train in the forest during that time. However, do _not_ destroy anything." Porlyusica fixed Lucy with a stare.

Lucy sweat dropped as she repeatedly nodded her assent. Once Porlyusica left for her to recover, a frown marred Lucy's features. Two to three weeks as too long. She had promised Shunko that she would be home a long time ago. Lucy sighed.

 _Shunko, I'm coming home soon._

~~ Somewhere in the middle of a market ~~

The kid was absolutely driving him crazy, and he will never babysit _anyone_ again. Natsu concluded. That, or he was slowly going insane. Wait … don't they mean the same thing? Natsu shook his head and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. His brain was fried after Shunko led him around the village all day. It all started perfectly, then it ran downhill from there.

Shunko wanted fire candy. Not seeing any harm to that, Natsu bought him some. But afterwards, the kid wanted to go _everywhere_. He ran around to different market stands, into shops, and back out to the streets. Natsu had a very hard time keeping track of the hyper three year old. After spotting Shunko at a candy apple stand, Natsu made a beeline towards the child in the crowd and scooped him up in his arms.

"Alright buddy, I think you have enough sugar for the day."

Shunko pouted.

"But Natsu –"

"No buts." Natsu responded firmly. Then in a softer tone he asked, "Don't you think it is about time we go and try to find your mom?"

At the mention of his mother, Shunko began to tear up. He gave Natsu a tight hug and nodded his head. Natsu sighed and carried the child to a nearby bench. After setting Shunko down, Natsu made sure he calmed down before asking where his house was.

"House on the edge of woods."

Natsu nodded, and continued with his questions.

"Did you see your mom in town at the market or any of the places we went to?"

Shunko shook his head. Tears streaming down his face.

"Whad do I do Natsu? Mommy disappeared and she is newa comin back!"

Shunko wailed, his words became more indiscernible as he cried louder. Natsu gulped and quickly tried to calm the child. Seeing that hugs and calming words aren't working, Natsu began to do what he does the best. He lit his hands on fire and began to juggle fire balls.

"Oh a ha ha ha, look at all this fire I have!" Natsu began yelling out, as he added more balls into the fray.

"Oh no!" Natsu pretended to be distressed, "I think I have too much now."

Natsu began doing acrobatics while pretending to have trouble juggling the fire. Shunko soon forgot his crying as he watched the pink haired man do a fire show. As Natsu continued doing his antics, a decent crowd gathered as they watched the man do amazing tricks with fire. After a while, seeing that Shunko was cheered up, Natsu let out a big roar, creating a huge fireball above him. The crowd gasped in delight and Shunko clapped his hand in happiness. After the ball of fire was created, Natsu sent out consecutive smaller fireballs to propel the big one into the sky and let it explode in a shower of warm sparks. The finale done, Natsu took a dramatic bow before Shunko as the crowd roared and cheered around them. Coins were tossed towards Natsu, and although surprised, he caught took them gratefully. Years on the road gave him experience and foresight to know that spare change is always valuable.

Once the commotion died down, Natsu turned to Shunko.

"Come on little guy. I think I know a place where we can stay at the night with all the money we just made. I saw an inn downtown. We could probably grab something to eat and then sleep."

Shunko smiled and nodded.

The two walked hand in hand as the sun slowly settled into the horizon.

A/N: Yes I am alive! I know this is long overdue, but I will _not_ be putting this on hiatus. It will only take me _really_ long to update (maybe, depends) because of college. I have been writing snippets throughout the week, but I didn't want to post anything until I have a substantial amount of writing. Due to this, the Monday postings will be gone. I currently have no idea what my posting schedule will be but bear with me please. For some reason Porlyusica really reminds me of Sesshomaru. Perhaps it is the whole human hating thing. Do you guys think the Natsu/Shunko development is going too slow? I want to show them bonding, but I also didn't want to bore you guys with details. To be honest I was kind of having a writer's block while I wrote this, so anything feedback would be appreciated. Please R &R. Hope you enjoy.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. Sad face.

A/N: I rarely put an author's note in the beginning but I had to. One of the guests mentioned Natsu looking for the bandits taking way too long and Lucy's pregnancy time skip. I can't really pm you but here's a reply. First about Natsu's nightmares, he already has the bandit guy locked up in the jail, but he can't force him to undo the curse because the bandit is in jail, and Natsu doesn't have the authority to punch prisoners etc. And you know how the magic council views Fairy Tail mages … Now about Lucy, I skipped parts of her pregnancy phase because it really has nothing to do with moving the story line. She does of course, have difficulties when she is in her trimester, and later when Shunko was first a baby, but that is the normal difficulties that any parent will undergo. It didn't really have anything that will move the plot forward so I didn't write anything over it. However, if enough people want a filler chapter over it, I am open to the idea of writing it.

Now on to the main story!

Chapter 11

"Hey Barmaid! Could you give me a hand?" Natsu yelled as he barged into the inn.

Shiharu frowned at the rambunctious young man.

"I have a name, and it's Shiharu. If you need help, you should ask properly." She admonished.

Natsu looked peeved. "Ah, Sorry Shiharu, it's just that it is late, and I really need to get this kid home."

Shiharu gave him a curious look and looked around before she noticed a very guilty Shunko trying to hid behind Natsu. Shiharu gasped.

"Shunko! Where have you been!? Did you know how worried Saku, Kiyo, and I was? Saku looked all over town for you."

Shunko flinched. "Sorry" he mumbled. Natsu frowned, he didn't like seeing the kid so down, Shunko already had enough to deal with as it is.

"Hey, don't yell at him. He was only trying to find his mom." Natsu defended. Shiharu looked taken aback.

"Oh Shunko, I' so sorry, I know you miss your mom, but she will be home soon. Don't worry." Shiharu went around the counter and wrapped Shunko up in a hug.

"But Aunt Shiharu, you said that last week and she still hasn't returned. What if … what if mommy is dead?" Shunko began wailing, huge streams of tears ran down his face.

"Shunko, I can promise you your mom is not dead, don't think such absurd things." Shiharu comforted.

"Yea, we are going to find her right? It's just taking her a little longer than usual to come home – that's all"

Shunko looked hopefully at Natsu.

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Ok. I will wait." Shunko rubbed his eyes. "Aunt Shiharu, I wanna go home."

Shiharu smiled. "Sure, I'm almost done with my shift. Just wait for a while." Turning to Natsu, she said, "Thanks for bringing him back Mr ….?"

"Dragneel. Natsu Dragneel." Natsu supplied.

"Thanks Mr. Dragneel. If you are in need of lodging, I know the inn here has a few free rooms. See you around." Giving a small nod, Shiharu went back to work.

 **\- Later -**

Shiharu finished up the last part of her cleaning and looked towards the two waiting at the door.

"Come on boys, let's get you back home Shunko."

Shunko nodded sleepily. It has been a long day and he was really tired. Seeing that Shunko was nodding off, Natsu scooped up Shunko into his arms and waited outside for Shiharu to lock up the final things.

The three walked in silence with Shunko snoring softly.

Shiharu took in a deep breath and began talking.

"You know, when his mom first came to us, she was really a mess. It was a surprise really, seeing a pregnant woman traveling to this part of Fiore. But she was a warm, outgoing person and we got along really quickly. However on occasions, there was this really sad look on her face. None of us questioned it, and once Shunko was born it got better but it never went away."

Shiharu paused, and chuckled.

"Well, I guess we are just really happy she is getting better now. Shunko is her light. Thank you for bringing him back." She looked at the sleeping boy fondly. Natsu nodded in acquiescence and the two walked to the boarding house in silence.

They were greeted by an anxious Saku and Kiyo.

"Shiharu! Have you found Shunko yet? It's really late and … "

The two noticed Natsu standing quietly behind her and a dozing Shunko on his shoulder.

"Oh my!" Kiyo exclaimed in a small voice.

Shiharu smiled sheepishly.

"This is Natsu Dragneel, he was the one who found Shunko." She introduced.

Natsu bowed.

Saku critically examined him before giving a huff and ushering him to come in. Shiharu and Kiyo took Shunko off Natsu's shoulders to take him to bed, leaving Natsu and Saku standing alone in the living room.

"So, you are the salamander." Saku stated.

"Yes. I didn't know my name reached this far though." Natsu commented.

"Hmm, I mostly hear stories about your destructive nature." Saku replied. Natsu sweat dropped at her response but remained silent, unsure what to talk about.

"Mr. Dragneel, I will get to the point. Why are you here? This is a peaceful village and I do not appreciate any outsiders coming here. Outsiders always bring in bad news."

"No, please I promise I'm not here for trouble. I'm here to look for my mate."

"Mate?"

"Yeah. She left our guild, Fairy Tail, a few years ago. I have been looking for her ever since."

Saku gave him a leveled stare. "Have you ever thought she left on purpose? What if she doesn't want to go back?"

"No!" Natsu protested. "That's not possible. Lucy loved our guild. She left because of a misunderstanding … it's just …"

Natsu was at lost on what to say. His thoughts filled with the memories he and Lucy had shared… _and how he screwed it up._ In fact, he was so absorbed in his memories that Natsu did not notice the surprised look Saku gave when he mentioned Lucy's name. She soon became contemplative as Natsu continued to brood. Seeing the genuine anguish on the young man's face, Saku cleared he throat and began to speak, effectively drawing Natsu out of his thoughts.

"Well, seeing that Shiharu brought you here this late, I guess you haven't found a place to stay yet?"

Natsu nodded affirmative.

Saku sighed and continued. "I suppose you could stay for a while. _However_ , you have to sleep on the sofa and help out around the house."

"Really?" Natsu asked, his face brightening with hope.

"Yes. It will be helpful to have someone do chores and look over Shunko until his mother gets back. I usually have to go to the market and do my daily routine of groceries and things, so it was really hard to keep track of Shunko. You are his assigned guardian for the duration of your stay."

Natsu smiled.

"That would be great. He is a good kid."

Saku hummed and began to leave.

"Restroom is down the hall, the kitchen is to the right. We eat there for breakfast and dinner. Good night Mr. Dragneel."

"Good night! Thank you so much for letting me stay."

Saku didn't reply, but instead turned around and left for her room, a glint in her eyes and a mysterious smile on her face.

 **\- Next Day -**

Natsu was up by dawn. It was his daily routine really. After days of training, he had adjusted his body to be up with the sun no matter how tired he was the previous day. As he stepped into the kitchen looking for breakfast he tripped on across a small stool and crashed down to the floor with a thud. Quick, even steps sounded from the other side and he saw a disapproving Saku standing over him.

Saku didn't bat an eye at Natsu's entrance, but she was definitely annoyed.

"Mr. Dragneel, I suggest you not to make such a ruckus in the morning. You see, some people need sleep, yes?" She gave him a glare that could rival Erza's. As Natsu quickly righted himself to a standing position, he found a spatula in front of his face.

"The other's will be up in two hours. For now, make yourself useful and chop some wood in the back. Once you are done, sweep the floor upstairs. Too much dust has been gathering." Saku ordered.

"Now don't ever come to the kitchen unless you know what you are doing ok?" The evil glare intensified.

Natsu was wise enough to shut his mouth and just nod before fleeing to the back of the house.

Looking at Natsu's retreating figure, Saku sighed and wondered if her decision was the correct one to make.

Natsu was quick to chop all the wood. It wasn't a big pile, but Natsu made sure to chop the wood evenly so that it could be stacked easier. He really didn't want to make Saku again. Despite appearances, Saku was _scary_.

Once he was done, Natsu found a broom in the small warehouse outside and he took it upstairs, careful to be quiet and not wake up the girls. He hummed softly as he worked. Usually, he would stay at a village for one week before moving on to the next one. But with Shunko here, he decided that one more week wouldn't hurt. He did promise the kid that he will help him find his mother after all. Now that he was officially looking after the kid, he would have to plan out what to do every day too … Natsu tried to think about fun things to do as he swept.

 _Perhaps show him more fire tricks?_

 _Or show him eating fire?_

 _Or teach him how to fight?_

 _We could have a play-fight …_

Natsu slammed his head against a nearby door, realizing all his thoughts were either dangerous or violent. Sure, he didn't mind when he was taught about fighting and fire by Igneel. But this was a normal child, not a dragon slayer. Saku would have his head I she knew his thoughts.

 _Planning a day is hard._

Natsu was drawn out of his inner misery when a faint scent hit him. It was familiar and comforting, yet it was also unfamiliar at the same time. Natsu quickly realized it came from the room behind the door. It was empty, his dragonslayer hearing told him that Shiharu and Kiyo were residing in the other two rooms. There were faint traces of Shunko's scent, but currently he was sleeping in Saku's room since his mom is gone.

 _So this must be his mother's room._

Natsu felt the urge to open the door and see where the familiar yet unfamiliar scent was coming from. But this was someone else's room and he didn't want to invade their privacy. Natsu was at lost on what to do as he deliberated over his options.

A door creaked open to his left and Shiharu popped her head out.

"Oh Natsu! Good morning." She yawned.

Natsu snapped back to reality.

"Oh hey Shiharu, good morning."

Shiharu chuckled. "Saku is making you do the morning cleaning I see. Breakfast should be up soon though."

On cue, Saku shouted "Breakfast!" from downstairs.

"And that's my signal to wake Kiyo up. Come on, you should go downstairs."

Natsu nodded and began heading down. The smell of breakfast sent his stomach grumbling. The room of the familiar yet unfamiliar scent was temporarily forgotten.

~~~ Train Station, a few days later ~~~

Lucy stepped off the platform, the familiar image of the village greeted her eyes like a parent greeting their child. She was so happy to be home after her visit to Porlyusica. What she said had made her very anxious, and Lucy felt the need to see Shunko immediately.

The blond walked briskly away from the station and began heading towards the boarding house. The villagers who recognized her greeted her pleasantly, but Lucy only gave them a short reply. In hindsight, it may have come off a bit rude, but she was more concerned with her child. Once she arrived, she saw Shunko hiding behind a bush glancing suspiciously around the house, his back to her. All her worries flew out the window. Her baby was safe.

"Shunko!" She yelled happily.

Shunko turned his head around and his face lit up in delight.

"Mommy!" He screamed and began running towards her.

Lucy wrapped up her son in her arms, her heart filled with warmth. It has been so long and so hard without him. Her bundle of joy. Tears prickled at her eyes but she smiled at the small toddler in her arms. Lucy hugged him tightly and reassured herself that her son was safe, healthy, and will remain that way. When Shunko began to sniffle quietly, and Lucy pulled away concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought you weren't coming back." Shunko cried. "I was so lonely."

His big eyes filled with tears, and Lucy could feel her own tears run down her face. Leaving him the past few weeks has been the hardest thing to do. Every day, she worried about him, she worried if he was eating properly, sleeping being safe … every single tiny detail of his life.

"It's alright." She soothed. "I'm back now, and I won't leave again."

"Promise."

"I promise." Lucy replied as she ruffled his hair.

The two hugged for a while longer before Shunko stopped crying and looked up into her eyes, a big grin on his face.

"Now mommy, we have to hide."

Lucy was confused. She had only arrived, what did he mean, hide?

"What do you mean honey?" She asked.

"I'm playing hide and seek." Shunko replied.

Lucy was taken aback. Shiharu and Kiyo was at work, and Saku wasn't the type to play.

"With who?" She asked curious.

"With Natsu of course!" Shunko grinned.

Lucy's heart stopped at his answer. At that moment, a distinctive male voice was heard.

"Ready or not here I come!"

Lucy looked towards the direction of the voice, her heart filling with fear as a figure walked out from behind the house.

Chocolate eyes locked in with onyx eyes.

Time stood still.

A/N: I actually deliberated a lot on whether I wanted them to meet in this chapter, but meh they are going to meet eventually so I was like yea I'll get it over with. So guys, do you want it to be a dramatic reunion or fluffy? If no one answers this, I'm just going to go with whatever I have in mind whenever I write the next chapter. (ho ho ho beware the abyss of my mind) I do have an idea of how I kind of want it to go, but I want to hear reader opinions. Anyways, hope you enjoy. Please R&R


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. If time travel is possible, I might, but since it is not …

Chapter 12

Lucy POV

Lucy wanted to run, to disappear into the air, or better yet have the ground swallow her whole. She could not believe what she was seeing. He was _here_ standing in front of her. She noticed how his hair remained the same shade of pink, or salmon as he liked to call it. She examined his face, he had grown leaner during the past three years. However, it was apparent that he is still very strong from his muscles. She stared into onyx eyes that mirrored her shock. When he noticed that they were both staring, he quickly made his face into an unreadable mask.

"Lucy." He stated in a clipped tone.

Natsu POV

Natsu looked at the girl … no woman in front of him. Her long haired shined in the sun. She had a slight tan, giving her skin a lightly golden tone. She was fit, in fact a lot fitter than the last time he had seen her. Natsu probably wouldn't recognized her from far away in the street. Even her scent has changed. It had the hint of cinnamon in addition to her normal vanilla strawberry scent. It was intoxicating. But her eyes, they were unmistakable. Those chocolate orbs stared at him in shock. Natsu quickly looked at Shunko in her arms. He had heard the boy call for his mom. Looking at the two, Natsu came to several conclusions. The new scent on Lucy was due to Shunko, or more specifically Shunko's _father._ Natsu suppressed a growl at the thought of Lucy with another man. But Shunko, Shunko was the proof that Lucy was lost to him forever. Lucy left the guild and found someone else. A quick inspection of Lucy's ring finger found no wedding band. Natsu's thoughts turned murderous at the mystery father who would leave Lucy and Shunko without providing them a proper home. Reigning his emotions in before he did something he would regret, Natsu looked at Lucy.

"Lucy"

All POV

Lucy hesitated before replying. She could feel the heat radiating off Natsu even though they were some distances apart. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and replied.

"Natsu. It has been a while."

"I have searched a long time for you. These past years, I never stopped."

Although he whispered it, Lucy could clearly hear his words. Shunko shifted against her and the moment was broken. Lucy stood up. She had imagined this moment so many times in her head, but she never imagined that it would be so soon, so unexpected.

As the blond went further into her thoughts, Natsu gave her a closer inspection. After the initial shock has died down, he confirmed that the only male scent on Lucy was Shunko's. It cemented his earlier conclusion, and he made a mental note to ask Lucy about Shunko's father and hunt him down. His attention shifted again when the blond took a deep breath.

"Let's talk inside. Shunko is tired."

Wrapping the boy in her arms, Lucy walked into the house, Natsu not far behind. Once inside, Lucy set Lucy in a dining room chair while she prepared him a snack. Natsu watched her silently from the kitchen entrance, his eyes following her every move. It made Lucy feel exposed, and the place she called her safe haven for the past three years suddenly didn't feel so safe anymore. She pushed away the feeling of discomfort and concentrated on Shunko. Once Shunko was done with his snack, Lucy told him to go up to their bedroom and read a book. Shunko nodded and walked upstairs. Once she was sure her son was gone, Lucy turned to Natsu.

"I didn't expect to see you."

Natsu gave a dry, humorless laugh.

"I didn't expect to find you either. You just left. Everyone was crushed when you abandoned us." _Especially me._ Natsu wanted to add.

"I didn't have a choice. I had to go! I couldn't have stayed." Lucy bit out.

"What do you mean you didn't have a choice? What was preventing you from telling everyone you got some secret boyfriend that you wanted to live with? Or did you not trust us enough to tell us anything? Do you know how worried everyone was?" Natsu felt himself become angrier. Why couldn't she just tell him why she left?

"I don't have a secret boyfriend! And even if I did it is none of your business!" Lucy yelled.

"Ha! So what, you just got tired of us and left? Lucy do you know how irresponsible that is?"

"Natsu Dragneel, don't lecture me on responsibility! You are the most destructive prone, irresponsible person I have ever met. I had some problems that needed to be resolved. So I left to resolve them. I couldn't stay."

"So you decided to just leave then? Tell me Lucy, what problem of yours was so big that you couldn't tell the guild but was able to go to some douchebag and get yourself knocked up?" Natsu sneered.

Lucy looked at him in disbelief and anger. "What did you say?"

"I said, what problem of yours was so big that you couldn't tell the guild but was able to go to some douchebag and get yourself knocked up? Don't lie to me Lucy. I can smell you and Shunko, and I can see the obvious lack of a father figure in his life."

Lucy felt her hackles rise up. What right did he have to talk to her this way? He had _no_ right whatsoever.

"Natsu! You are such a stupid flame brain!" She screeched.

"And you are just a prissy princess that runs away from your problems!"

Lucy snapped.

"You dense, destructive, jerk! You want to know why I went away? Fine! I'll tell you. Don't you dare tell me I am running away from my problems. You were right Natsu. I did get knocked up by a douchebag. That douchebag was you!" Lucy screamed. Tears prickled at the edge of her eyes.

Natsu was shocked at her declaration. He was a father? And Shunko was his son? It wasn't as if Natsu had never thought about having a family. After his past with Igneel, and seeing Romeo with his dad, thoughts of creating a family of his own often flitted in and out of his thoughts among other things. This explained the lack of male presence in Lucy's life. _He_ was the father. However, the declaration of fatherhood still shocked him.

"Wha -? But we never –"

Lucy gave a mirthless laugh. "Of course you don't remember. You were always hanging around your precious Lisanna to notice anything else." Lucy mocked.

Natsu's anger came back and pushed away the shock. How could Lucy do this to him? To them? To leave the guild when she was pregnant with _his_ child. Natsu always imagined raising his own kids in the boisterous atmosphere of the guild.

"Lisanna finally returned. I was just spending time with my best friend whom I thought was dead." He defended. "Shunko was my son, I had every right to know about him."

"Yes, yes, why don't you run along and spend more time with her then? Shunko and I have been getting along fine without you. You didn't even remember us, and you were fine without knowing for the past few years. Go away Natsu."

The temperature of the room skyrocketed as Natsu stalked towards Lucy.

"Fine for the past few years?" He snarled.

"I'll tell you what was fine for the past few years. I went around doing missions, the more dangerous the better, killing myself while trying to find you and forget you at the same time. I wandered everywhere, wondering everyday whether you were alive or not. Did you know, after some time I started having nightmares. Wendy and Levy said it was a curse. Every night I dreamed about you dying, and I saw another me in my dream killing you. Every time I wake up, I ask myself what did I do wrong, and how could I do such a thing? You call that fine? If that is your definition of fine then yeah, I have been _fine_ these past few years." Natsu hissed.

He had backed Lucy against a wall. Their noses were almost touching, and their breathes mingled between them. Natsu's eyes locked onto Lucy's and they stood still, neither moving nor talking.

Lucy stared into the eyes of her partner as her mind tried to process what he just told her. She felt numb, as if she couldn't control her body. Natsu began to lean in, closing the space between them. Lucy's eyes widened as she caught a flash of gold in Natsu's onyx eyes. Terror clawed at her heart when she recalled their fateful night.

Gathering her spirit magic, Lucy pushed Natsu away from herself. He blinked, as if confused for a moment before focusing back on her.

Lucy straightened her posture and stepped away from the wall.

"If I could turn back time, I would still make the choices I made. Shunko and I are getting along just fine by ourselves. We are safe, you know that now Natsu. My only regret is that he never had a father." Lucy's eyes hardened. "But I will make sure to fill in that gap."

Natsu lunged towards her but Lucy blocked him instead, her reflexes from training kicking in. Natsu growled.

"I will see my son, you can't keep him from me."

"No you won't" Lucy replied. She punched Natsu and stepped back.

"Open, the Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

"Mooooo!"

Taurus appeared in a flash of white light.

"Taurus, kick Natsu out of the house." Lucy commanded.

Taurus quickly swung his ax and pushed Natsu out through the window. Natsu landed outside in the yard, but he quickly recovered. He prepared to launch one of his attacks when a commanding voice stopped him.

"Stop!"

Both Natsu and Lucy turned to look at the source of the voice. It was Saku who had come back from grocery shopping. The look on her face was very reminiscent of Erza's angry glare and both mages could feel a shiver run down their spine.

"What. Is. This? I come back from shopping and I find my house destroyed, with my boarder and guest fighting each other?"

"She started it!"

"He started it!"

The two mages scowled at each other when they realized that they talked at the same time. A vein popped on Saku's head.

"Whatever this foolishness is, it stops NOW!"

Natsu shook his head.

"I can't granny. I'm fighting to see my son."

"You have no right! I was the one who gave birth to him and raised him." Lucy yelled.

"That's because you never even told me about him!" Natsu retorted.

Lucy was prepared to yell back another line when Saku spoke again.

"Enough!"

Both mages quieted down.

"Natsu are you Shunko's father?"

Natsu nodded. "Yes, I didn't know about him till now though."

Saku sighed. "I gathered that from your conversation. Look this fight is completely immature. Natsu, if you will be so kind as to fix the window. I'm sure you can spend some time with Shunko later. Lucy, I need a report from your … trip. Have it prepared for me tomorrow." Saku ended in a clipped tone.

"Whatever your differences are, you can work it out later when your son is _not_ looking from the window and watching you fight."

At her comment, both mages turned to look upstairs. Shunko was looking down on them with wide eyes. Lucy groaned and cursed under her breath. Shooting one last glare at Natsu, she returned Taurus back though the gate and began walking upstairs.

Lucy POV

Lucy walked upstairs with dread. Shunko saw her fight with Natsu. Did he hear everything? Does he know? How will he react? Lucy felt a headache starting to develop. They never really talked about Shunko's father. Shunko was mostly too young to understand, and she had planned to tell him about it later. The only time they touched on the subject was when Shunko saw a family of birds and asked her why they had two mamas instead of one. Lucy had lightly touched on the subject and told him that it wasn't two mamas, but a mama and papa. When Shunko had then asked her where his father was, Lucy could only tell him that his father was flying with the dragons. At that point, Shunko frowned but never questioned her over it again.

When she reached her bedroom door, Lucy tentatively pushed the hinges and opened it. Shunko was still staring out the window, presumably watching Natsu fix the window. Lucy went to the window and sat down, pulling Shunko into her lap as they both watched the man outside work.

"Mama, is mister my papa?" Shunko asked.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. He is your papa?"

"Did he come back from flying with the dragons? Is he staying?"

"I don't know Shunko. I'm sorry, I really don't know."

They sat in silence, watching the man outside. Lucy wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, she opted to just watch instead and think in silence. She missed him so much, and he was finally here. But in the past years, the boarding house had become a new home to Lucy. Natsu, no matter how much she still loved him, was an intruder in the new life that she precariously pieced together.

The thought of returning to Fairy Tail frightened Lucy. How would they accept her? How _could_ they accept her? She feared to think about how her relationship with Natsu would change from here on.

 _He probably hates me._ She thought bitterly.

The two watched till sundown when Kiyo and Shiharu came back and Saku called dinner. Lucy and Shunko quietly shuffled into the dining room. Lucy avoided meeting Natsu's eyes, but Shunko stared at him with open curiosity.

As if sensing the tension, the other tenants did not speak much. Dinner was eaten quietly and finished quickly. Lucy walked Shunko up immediately after dinner. Natsu's eyes followed them, but he did not move from his seat.

~ a while later ~

The moon shone brightly from the sky. Lucy breathed in the clear air and tried to find her center as she meditated. After the awkward dinner, she had attempted to write her novel, but even that did not calm her down. Tension rolled off her in waves and instead of going to sleep, Lucy decided to take a small walk.

Without any specific location in thought, Lucy had wandered through the woods until she arrived at a small clearing. It was different from the usual place she trained at. It was more closed off, though the stream still ran through. Lucy felt at peace here. There was only a small patch of grass illuminated by the moon, the rest of the light scattered in broken fragments, blocked by the leaves of the trees that surrounded the clearing.

"Hello partner." A deep voice spoke behind her.

Lucy's breath hitched as she slowly turned around. There was a human silhouette among the shadow of the trees.

"Natsu." She whispered.

"Luce."

Lucy gave him a small smile.

"You haven't called me that in forever."

"I know." He replied. "I plan to call you that a lot from now on."

Natsu untangled himself from the shadows of the trees and he settled down by Lucy. Neither of them spoke for a while. They just rested in each other's presence.

"I'm sorry." Lucy murmured. "For earlier. I shouldn't have yelled."

"Me too. Luce. It just has been so long, and knowing that you were alright but never contacted us … that really made me mad."

Lucy accepted his answer. A thick silence fell upon them again. This time, it was uncomfortable. They both knew they were avoiding the subject that each one wanted to talk about the most.

"Shunko." Natsu started, "how is he?"

Lucy smiled as she thought about her son. "He is wonderful. He is a fire magic user, like you. And he definitely has your streak for destruction."

"Hey, I'm not that bad." Natsu pouted.

Lucy laughed. Natsu looked at her in wonder. It has been so long since he heard her laugh. It a light and clear sound that he had missed for a long time.

Lucy quickly sobered up though and a darkened look took over her face.

"Look Natsu, I know I should've told you about him, but I couldn't. You were so happy with Lisanna, I couldn't do that to you. I could not come up with any other way than leave. I'm sorry about the worry I caused for the guild in the past few years. Master knew about it, but I didn't plan on telling anyone why I left."

Natsu gave Lucy a leveled stare and sighed. "Luce, Shunko is my son. I would've loved to get to know him. You know, I always wanted to have a family. Fairy Tail of course, is family, but I mean a family of my own."

"But Lisanna is your mate, I couldn't just tell you –"

"Lisanna is not my mate. My mate is someone else." Natsu whispered the last part as he stared intently at Lucy.

Lucy flushed. "But after Tenrou, you and Lisanna always hung out together. I thought –"

"You thought wrong Luce. For someone who is such a bookworm, you _are_ pretty slow." Natsu gave her a lopsided grin.

"Then who –"

Natsu cut her off for the third time as he leaned in and kissed her. It was a chaste kiss, but it surprised Lucy nonetheless.

"You. Weirdo." Natsu smiled.

Lucy stared at him, her brain processed and reprocessed his words.

"When did you know?"

Natsu shrugged. "I didn't know at first. But as we went on more missions, it became more apparent. Then one day, it was just knew that you were my mate. Look Luce, I may not remember it because I was stupidly drunk, but even if I am drunk, I wouldn't have sex with anyone other than my mate." Natsu stated matter-of-factly.

Lucy blushed. To think of the day where Natsu actually talked about relationships, much less sex. Suddenly, she became much more aware of their distance, or lack of.

"I'm so sorry Natsu. I should have told you, but I was so scared. I thought you loved _her._ " As Lucy thought of the past, she began to cry. "You couldn't see Shunko because of me. Because I was stupidly jealous of Lisanna and I thought you chose her. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was just so scared and so frustrated."

"I know Luce. I kinda figured it out. It's okay, I forgive you. I'm sorry too. I should have spent more time with you even though Lisanna came back. I was too busy recounting the past that I forgot the present. It must have been hard to raise Shunko all alone. I'm sorry you had to go through that without me."

With each sentence, Natsu gently cupped Lucy's face and kissed away the tears in her eyes. When he was done talking Lucy moved forward and hugged Natsu as she buried her face and her tears into his chest. Familiar warmth enveloped her as Natsu returned the hug.

Lucy leaned into his embrace, and the two shifted onto a lying position on the ground, Lucy curled up against Natsu with his arms around her. They both looked at the moon.

"Hey Luce."

"Hmm?"

"I'm so glad I found you."

"Me too Natsu, me too."

"You know I'm never going to let go again, right?"

"Yeah. I won't ever let you go either."

Underneath the moonlight, two hearts began to heal as they went to sleep in each other's arms.

A/N: Hey guys, here is the long awaited update. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Seeing that it is almost Thanksgiving, I started writing this chapter even though I really should be studying for my test but oh well plot bunnies are cruel. I was having a writer's block on how to portray Lucy and Natsu's meeting. In response to the last chapter, a lot of people voted dramatic, and also fluffy, so I wanted to write a scene where the emotional conflict is high, but the deeper feelings also got across. I was contemplating whether to do a lemon in this chapter or not, but I decided not to because they just got reunited, and it doesn't make sense to do the act that caused them to separate in the first place. (Besides there are _so_ many chances to do that later) So I hope you guys are satisfied with the fluffy bit at the end for now. Anyways, it's a longer than usual chapter since I took so long to update. Enjoy! R&R.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: FT is not mine. Do I have to repeat every time? Can I just extend it for the rest of the chapters I write (however many I do?) O.K. I'm extending it since you can't really read the rest without reading this and this _obviously_ state FT is not mine and not for profit. Okay ~ here we go

Chapter 13

Lucy could feel the heat from the sun on her eyes, but she didn't want to wake up yet even though she felt sore from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Lucy turned around, hoping to find a more comfortable position where the sun wasn't shining on her face. As she reached for her blanket, she found something hard blacking her way. Dazedly, Lucy realized that her bed was a lot harder than she remembered it, and a lot warmer to. Eyes still closed, Lucy felt in front of her. The constant rising of the surface didn't feel like a bed … it felt like someone breathing. Natsu! Startled, Lucy opened her eyes to see that she was currently buried in Natsu's chest with his arms around her, preventing her from freeing herself. Cheeks flushed, Lucy struggled to escape his grasp, but Natsu did not budge and continued to sleep unaware of his partner's dilemma. After a few minutes of squirming with no results, Lucy decided to calm down and just observe the man in front of her instead.

Natsu had changed little over the several years they have been apart, but at the same time Lucy felt like he was a completely different person. His hair was still the same shade of pink, but instead of the boyish spikes she remembered, Natsu's hair had grown out and became shaggier. Some strands where in his eyes now. His face still held some boyish features, though it also became more rugged. As Lucy continued scrutinizing him, Natsu's eyes opened. They were gold, and even in the daylight, seemed to be glowing. Lucy held her breath, as fear started to overtake her mind. Natsu glanced around and focused on her, his amber stare pinning her down. Again, Lucy struggled out of his arms but his grasp was iron tight. Natsu did not seem to mind Lucy's struggle. He had a detached look on his face, but his eyes followed her every movement. As Lucy's struggle increased, Natsu tightened his hold on her until it was painful. Unable to take the pain anymore, Lucy let out a small whimper at the pressure. The sound seemed to slip Natsu out of his reverie.

He blinked, and his eye color returned to normal.

"Ah, Good morning Luce." He sent her a goofy smile. After a few second, he seemed to realize their position and quickly let go, a sheepish expression on his face.

"Good morning to you too Natsu." Lucy replied quietly. A long stretch of silence followed.

"Haha, it's strange to wake up without you kicking me off the bed." Natsu commented awkwardly, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. Lucy didn't reply to his comment. Instead, she stood up and walked to the nearby stream where she cleared her face and took a sip of water. Observing the sun's position in the sky, Lucy walked back to Natsu and motioned for him to get up.

"We should probably head back, the others are probably waking soon. Can you direct us back? I didn't really keep track of where I was going last night."

Natsu nodded. "Sure, gimme a sec."

He went to the stream and freshened up like Lucy did before sniffing the air and wandering through a grove of trees. Lucy followed a few paces behind him.

The two were silent as they walked, Natsu was constantly on alert about their surroundings while sniffing the path they had come from. Lucy on the other hand, occasionally glanced at Natsu before glancing away, eyes downcast, a shadow over her face.

Last night, under the romance of the dim moonlight, she had easily accepted Natsu's confession about her being his mate. But it didn't erase the years that they spent apart, or the fact that he didn't know his son. Guilt gnawed at her from the inside. In the bright day light, Lucy could see that the events of last night was too surreal, perhaps she would never be able to make it up to him. Dark thoughts haunted her as she walked behind Natsu.

Natsu, as if sensing Lucy's distress stopped and turned around, putting both of his hands on her shoulder.

"Luce, are you alright?" He asked, both eyes peering into hers in concern.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine Natsu, don't worry." Lucy gave him a wane smile and waived him off.

Still not convinced, Natsu frowned before taking Lucy's hand and tugging her alone.

"You don't look fine Luce. Let's get Saki or Shiharu to look at you." He began tugging her along.

Frustrated, still guilty, and a bit annoyed, Lucy pulled her hand out of his grasp. She felt tears prickling at her eyes. The more she thought about it, the bleaker them future for both of them seemed. Even if she was his mate, Lucy couldn't forgive herself for what she did. The decision to leave had seemed to be the best thing to do at the time, but in retrospect, especially now that Natsu is here and that he told her everything – there were many things that she could have done differently.

"How are you able to do this?" Lucy asked, her voice on the verge of breaking.

"Do what?"

"Do what you do!" Lucy yelled frustrated, "How can you bear to forgive me? After I left, after I took Shunko …"

"Haha Luce, you are silly. Didn't I say you were my mate?" Natsu stepped forward and engulfed her in a warm embrace.

"But still, I shouldn't have done it. When did you know I was your mate? Things are just happening so fast. Mavis, Natsu. What have I done?" Lucy sobbed quietly into his chest.

Natsu just held her, thinking contemplatively before replying softly.

"I think I knew you were my mate the first time we met. But I didn't realize it until you left. I never really partnered with anyone but Happy before. Even when we were younger, Lisanna would go on missions with her siblings while I went on mine alone. In fact, I thought I was going to be alone forever. Then you walked into my life and became my partner. Now we have a son. You know Luce, when I first met Shunko, I thought he was a great kid. Sure, he was reckless, and liked to cry about his mom, but he had a great personality. It was fun showing him fire tricks and playing with him. I thought he was a weirdo … kinda like you Luce. When I found out that he was my kid – our kid, I was mad. I blew up yesterday. I can't deny that I was very angry at being left in the dark for so long. But that's in the past now Luce. I thought about it a lot yesterday after the fight. You have raised our kid be a good person, and at least now I have my mate by my side and I can raise him with you in the future. Besides, it's not like we can't have anymore." Natsu waggled his eyebrows teasingly.

"Idiot!" Lucy punched his chest, but the punch lacked force behind it.

Natsu chuckled and cupped Lucy' face with his friends.

"Lucy, will you allow me to raise our son together, will you give us a chance?" He asked earnestly.

Lucy blushed and smiled.

"Of course Natsu."

Natsu gave a whoop and lifted Lucy around in a circle.

"But we are going to do this slowly." Lucy added when she was finally put down. "The first time, it was bad because I, we, were both young. This time, let's make it right." She stated.

"Yeah." Natsu agreed before holding out his hand.

"Luce?"

Lucy smiled at him and grabbed his hand tightly as they walked through the forest.

~~ Later ~~

"Where were you two idiots?" Saki scolded when Natsu and Lucy walked back in.

"I was so worried that the village was going to be destroyed! Be more responsible, you are adults!" She yelled.

"Well now Saki, calm down. It looks like they've made up." Shiharu pipped from her spot in the dining rooms as she motioned to Lucy and Natsu's interlocked hands.

Lucy ducked her head and blushed while Natsu gave a huge grin to Saki.

"Sorry Saki, we just needed time to cool off and talk once we calmed down." Lucy said quietly.

"We are going to raise Shunko together." Natsu announced.

"Whoa really?!" Shiharu exclaimed surprised.

"Yep. On the way back, Natsu and I talked a lot about the future. We decided to move back to Magnolia to raise Shunko. This way he can get proper training and also if anything happens, Porlyusica – the healer I visited earlier, lives near Magnolia. She can heal and watch over Shunko if Acnologia's magic tries to take over again."

"Wait a minute Luce, what do you mean Acnologia's magic?" Natsu cut in.

Lucy glanced over at Natsu's face, a slightly surprised and sheepish expression covered her face. Shunko looked between the two and began to walk out, ushering Shiharu to go along with her.

"Ah, Natsu. I forgot to tell you the news since we had our … disagreement."

"Well?" Natsu asked impatiently.

"Natsu, we have a very talented son," Lucy began slowly, "A few weeks ago, before I left he showed signs of being a fire mage and a celestial mage. Well, actually I was playing with him using spirit fire to cheer him up, but he was actually able to manipulate it out of my control and into his own hands and play with it and he did it on the first try too but –"

"Luce this is great news!" Natsu interrupted, "I can teach him so many awesome tricks now. Hmm, maybe dragon's roar first? Though I don't know how it will turn out since Shunko is using spirit fire. Hmm" Natsu mused happily.

"Natsu." Lucy grabbed his arm, her tone serious and face grave. Seeing the expression on his partner's face, Natsu's happy face fell slightly.

"There is something else isn't there?" he questioned.

Lucy nodded. "At first, it was okay, his control was great. But then the flames … Natsu the flames …" Lucy swayed unsteadily on her feet as the memories washed over her. Natsu quickly held her still, silently giving her support.

"The flames became black." Lucy whispered. Her voice was soft, so soft that if Natsu didn't have dragon hearing, he wouldn't have heard her. Her voice was ominous, and it was clear that she was reliving the memory in her mind.

"Luce, it's okay I'm here. Calm down and explain what happened." Natsu looked at her, concern shining through his eyes. Lucy shuddered, and leaned in for a half hug against Natsu, her head on his chest with his arms around her.

"Natsu, do you remember Tenrou? Acnologia?"

"Yeah. It's in the past now Lucy. We are safe." Natsu replied.

"No we aren't Natsu. That was only the beginning." Lucy sniffed. "Acnologia's magic was strong, strong enough to leave a residue. When I was pregnant with Shunko, I felt Acnologia's magic trying to leech off me and take over. I tried to fight it, but fainted midway. When I woke up, I couldn't feel it anymore and I thought Shunko helped me fight it off. But it wasn't that easy." Lucy's voice crumbled.

"That's why you went on that vacation, you went to Porlyusica." Natsu whispered as he connected the dots.

Lucy nodded against him. "I showed her the memory since I couldn't bring Shunko with me. It is worse than I thought. The magic is trying to take over his body Natsu, Shunko is young so his body is not trained to handle magic but as he grows and his own magic grow, so will Acnologia's influence. Porlyusica said he doesn't have long, two years at the max. He absorbed it to protect me when he was a baby, and I couldn't even protect him even though I'm his mother! Mavis, I failed him!" Lucy sobbed.

Natsu embraced Lucy in a tight hug. "It's gonna be alright Luce. Once we go to Magnolia, I'm sure Gramps and Porlyusica will be able to do something. No matter what, I'm together with you, and I'm not finding my family only to lose them again."

Lucy smiled sadly as Natsu refer to them as his family. It gave her so much happiness to hear him say that, but it also made her want to cry at their future.

 _If only you knew Natsu…_

After taking a few minutes to settle their emotions, the Lucy gave a wane smile at Natsu.

"I think it's time for breakfast." She announced.

Natsu grinned. "Yeah, and I _have_ to teach Shunko the wonders of eating fire after all."

Without waiting for a reply, Natsu dashed towards the kitchen.

It took a moment for his words to register, the somber atmosphere earlier was still clouding her thoughts. When Lucy realized the implication of his words, she took off swiftly after her pink haired partner.

"NATSU DRAGNEEL! You get back here! I WILL NOT have you passing that awful table manner of yours to our son!" She screeched.

Laughter resounded down the halls in response.

A/N: Yes, I'm alive. My excuse for updating late: I was heartbroken and depressed for the past two months. Like seriously, my favorite OTPs from my drama and anime didn't sail _at all_ (and if they did the ending was still tragic) so I was really depressed. Then I went on a Christmas vacation with my family, though I was still hung up on my OTPs so I was withdrawn, and finally in the last few weeks of January I went through recovery by ranting about my OTPs to my friends. So yeeeaapp. Anyways, you can expect more frequent updates now that I'm kinda over my depression. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please R &R.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Lucy stepped off the train, butterflies in her stomach, and heart beating fast in anticipation. The station was as she had remembered it, the people bustling, the white pavement, the familiar atmosphere of Magnolia… She clenched Shunko's hand tighter.

"What if they don't accept me back?"

It was more of a rhetorical question, but it showed her feelings nevertheless. A hand patted her shoulders and Lucy turned to see Natsu giving her a smile.

"It will be fine. Everyone missed you." He reassured her. He seemed to want to say more but his face suddenly turned green and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Ahh, hard, solid, ground." He muttered gratefully, face still green. Lucy giggled and looked at Shunko who was laughing outright at his father suffering from the after-effects of motion sickness. Shunko fortunately, did not inherit his father's weakness of moving objects. When Natsu had complained that it was unfair he suffered alone, Lucy only retorted that it was better to have one sick person on a train than two. Shunko, for his part, only smiled at his parent's exchange.

"Shunko, want to help me carry this big idiot off before he causes a scene?" Lucy asked as she lifted Natsu on one side. Shunko grinned and nodded exuberantly at his mother before going to Natsu's other side and lifting his arm, though due to his height, it was really just Natsu holding to his hand.

"Papa looks funny all green." He cheerfully commented. Natsu blushed at his statement. Ever since Shunko had been told that Natsu was his father, the child had immediately started calling him "Papa". Every time since he had heard the endearment, Natsu and flushed and smiled idiotically at his son.

"Yosh! First things first. We gotta find a place to stay." Lucy announced.

"Huh?" Natsu turned his head to look at her.

At his incredulous look, Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Wow Natsu, did you really expect the landlady to keep my apartment for me after I told her I was moving out?"

Natsu fell silent and paused in his steps before giving her a serious look.

"Luce, you can stay with me." He stated.

"Ehh?!But I don't want to impose. I mean, I'm sure finding out about Shunko was a shock, and to have you accommodate us, besides, what about Happy? And speaking of that why haven't I seen him? I'm sure this is really sudden. I-I really don't think – "

"Luce." Natsu cut her off exasperatedly. "You are the mother of my child, and Shunko is my son. You are staying with me, and that's final. I have done more than enough S-class missions looking for you these years. And last time I checked, Happy was living with Charla so don't worry about anything and just come with me." He finished.

"You are an S-class mage now ne?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah. The year after you left, I became an S - class mage in order to do more quest around and look for you."

"Congratulations Natsu." Lucy whispered. She was genuinely happy for him, but the changes he had mentioned only increased he anxiety of the changed circumstances. Friends she hadn't seen for years… will they still be the same? Could she still go back?

Picking up on her conflicting feelings, Natsu shifted his weight off her and patted his stomach.

"Well, before we head back to our house, wanna grab some grub?" He asked cheerfully. Lucy blushed when he said "our house" and nodded at his question.

"Food! Fire!" Shunko chanted happily.

The trio walked to one of the bustling restaurants along the train station.

"Lots of meat and Fire Whiskey please!" Natsu shouted when they sat down.

"Also add a big salad with a side of fries and chicken strips to that and two orange juice!" Lucy added quickly.

"Coming right up." A waitress walked towards them and settled down the cups of water. "Your food should arrive in 10 minutes. I'll go get your drinks right now." She informed them. Lucy thanked her while Natsu and Shunko commenced a mock battle using their forks and knives.

"Geez, sometimes I wonder if I have two kids instead of one." Lucy rolled her eyes at their antics. Natsu and Shunko shot her identical goofy grins in response.

The waitress arrived promptly with their food. Natsu immediately began digging into his plate while Lucy neatly ate her salad. Shunko, much like his father, also dug into his basket of fries and chicken strips.

"Shunko, table manners!" Lucy admonished. Shunko paused in the middle of chewing a chicken strip. He gave his mother a sheepish look and carefully put down his chicken strip before wiping his face and picking up his utensils to cut the chicken strip into smaller pieces before eating them sulkily. Natsu stared at the scene, his mouth wide open and face aghast.

"But Luce, you are _supposed_ to be using your fingers when you eat chicken strips and fries. Forks are for other stuff, Shunko's a kid, let him _be_ one."

"Well Natsu, I'm surprised that you even know the existence of a fork, seeing that you never use one." Lucy shot back. Natsu gave her an offended look.

"Well Luce," he mimicked, "I don't need one because I'm a dragonslayer." He sat back and crossed his arms, completely satisfied with his answer. Lucy just raised an eyebrow.

"Because you are a dragonslayer? Really Natsu? Being a dragonslayer does not mean you should have horrid eating habits."

"I do not have horrid eating habits!"

Lucy looked at their table, which was now piled with multiple plates of meat with scraps across the surface, and looked back at Natsu. Seeing the projector of her glance, Natsu pouted.

"I still think that Shunko should be able to eat like a normal kid." He mumbled.

"Eating with forks _is_ considered normal, and that's how I have taught him these past three years."

"But you aren't supposed to eat them like that."

"This is getting ridiculous Natsu, I don't know why you are making such a big deal out of this. I was the one who raised him, and I was the one who taught him table manners so when I say he is going to use utensils, he is going to use them." Lucy retorted briskly.

"You were only able to do that because you ran away!" Natsu yelled.

Lucy flinched. The argument was no longer just about table manners.

"Don't you dare presume my thoughts and feelings at that time." She seethed. "Tell me Natsu, do you even _remember_ that night?"

" I –"

He was silent. Because the truth was, there were still many unanswered questions in the air. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to remember it.

"Look Luce, if you want to talk about it …" He trailed off uncomfortably.

Lucy sighed. "You know what, It's fine. Let's just finish up our meals and head home."

She began eating in silence. Natsu fell silent along with her, staring at her from the other side of the table. Shunko who had watched his parents' with wide fearful eyes clutched at Lucy's arm in an attempt to reassure his upset mother. He couldn't follow most of their conversation, but he knew that his mother was currently very sad so he offered his support.

They finished their meal in silence, and not a word was exchanged as they walked to Natsu's home.

"Ah, here it is," Natsu commented as they arrived.

The small house was situated right outside of Magnolia. The walls were made of stone and the thatched roof sat like a yellow hat atop the house. One chimney poked out from the side, and the wooden door swung open with ease.

"Home sweet home," Natsu muttered as he walked in. Lucy glanced around. The place was relatively tidy compared to what she had in mind when she thought of Natsu's house. The living room had a sofa with a blanket carelessly thrown over it. It was connected to the dining room, which situated a small circular table with four chairs around it. The furniture was a set of mismatched pieces, probably collected from missions or replaced after being broken so many time. Inwardly, Lucy thought that was just like Natsu. The overall kitchen design was efficient and neat. Like the furniture, there was a mismatch of plates, bowls, and utensils and surprisingly, there were no dishes in the sink. It gave off a completely Natsu feeling that was warm and welcoming.

"Follow me, I will show you your room." Natsu murmured as he walked down the hall. Lucy and Shunko followed suit, examining the house as they went. It was small but big enough for their small family. There was a bathroom/laundry room at the end of the hall and a guest and master's bedroom. Lucy and Shunko stayed in the guest room and Natsu's room was right across the hall from them.

As Lucy and Shunko started unpacking their stuff Natsu tapped lightly on the door.

"So do you still want to go to the guild later today?" He asked tentatively.

Lucy was silent as she absentmindedly arranged her things. Shunko tugged at the hem of her shirt.

"Mama?" Lucy looked down at her son and patted his head gently. Turning to Natsu, she gave a silent nod.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes." She replied.

The afternoon sun casted a warm glow on the familiar stone pavement leading to the guild. Natsu walked by Lucy who was wearing a hooded cloak as Shunko ran around them. Butterflies erupted in her stomach and her heartbeat increased as the trio neared the building Lucy considered another home. Sensing her nervousness, Natsu paused and turned towards her, pulling down her hood and allowing the sunlight to shine on them. Gently tapping their foreheads together, Natsu whispered, "It' going to be alright Luce." Natsu grasped her hand in his and gave her a reassuring squeeze, their earlier argument was forgotten. Lucy took a deep breath as she allowed Natsu to lead her to the great wooden doors, Shunko in tow with them.

"Hey everyone! I'm back!" Natsu yelled.

Many heads turned at Natsu's announcement. It was rare for the dragonslayer to sound so energetic when he returned. In fact, no one had heard this particular cheerful tone since Lucy left. The light from the doors temporarily blinded everyone in the darkened guild, and many squinted at the form of the dragonslayer walking in.

Not a second later, many had also noticed that Natsu was holding onto someone else's hand and dragging a second, more reluctant form into the guild. As everyone adjusted to the afternoon light filtering through the big opening of the doors, old members began to tear up as they recognized the shade of blond on the second figure's head.

"LLLllluuuuccccyyyyy!"

A blue mini tornado shot through the air towards the girl, and Lucy found herself covered by cat tears as Happy cried on her, giving her a hug. Immediate uproar surrounded them as the whole guild came to greet their long gone member. And overwhelmingly positive and happy atmosphere surrounded the duo as they walked through the guild.

Lucy cried at the warm reception. She cried because her guild, her family was so accepting of her even though she had left without a word. She cried because they were so warm and kind and Lucy could not imagine ever leaving them again. She cried because she was just so grateful to have another chance. A few of the newer member tried asking questions about her disappearance in the first place, but they were quickly silenced by the older members who wished for the happy atmosphere to last as long as possible. Questions could come later, but currently, one of their family has returned, and it was something worth celebrating.

Amongst the crowd, Lucy saw some of her closest friends. Levy gave her a tight hug, also crying as the petite girl made Lucy promise to tell her about all her adventures later. Gajeel gave her a slap on the back with a "Welcome back bunny girl." Wendy and Charla similarly gave their greetings, expressing their relief at her good health. As Lucy greeted everyone, Natsu always remained nearby. In this fashion, the duo made their way to the bar where Mirajane ran out and gave Lucy a tight squeeze.

"Welcome back Lucy." The white hair mage smiled at the younger girl. Her sister, Lisanna who was also helping out in the back kitchen came out to see what the commotion was. Upon spotting Lucy, she dropped the plate she was holding as she stared in shock. However, no one noticed this except a certain pair of eyes as the short haired takeover mage quickly cleaned up the mess she made.

As Lucy talked with the other members of the guild, she noticed a certain pair of mages were missing from the sea of faces. Turning to Natsu, she asked, "Where's Gray and Erza?" The dragonslayer stiffened, but gave a strained grin and shrugged. "Ah, well, they are usually off doing their own thing. Better as Mira." Frowning at his vague answer, Lucy waved to Mira and repeated her answer.

"Ah, Gray and Erza, I believe they are doing a small quest in the Northern Mountains. They went out a few days again and should be back by tonight. In fact, they should arrive anytime." As if on cue, the guild doors slammed open for the second time and another two figure waltzed in. Erza was wearing her normal armor while Gray had stripped off his shirt.

As the two walked in, they paused, confused by the rowdy and cheerful atmosphere of the guild. Spotting the crowd by the bar, Erza began walking swiftly towards the crowd to ask some questions when she saw a very familiar face in the middle of the crowd. Immediately, she released a death aura, quickly making the members scramble away and allowing her a clear path to the face she had spotted. Gray, who was in the back, saw the same thing a few seconds later, and he gaped at the sight.

"It can't be …"

Lucy sweat dropped as she saw both Gray and Erza speeding towards her. One's expression was fairly amicable, though more disbelieving, while the other was nothing short of murderous. Taking a small step back Lucy raised her hands in a surrender pose.

"Hey guys I can explain …"

His explanation was cut off short as she was engulfed in a bone crushing hug by both figures.

"Don't you _dare_ do that again." Erza muttered.

"The next time you do this, we are hunting you down, letter or not," Gray added.

Lucy nodded in their embrace, allowing herself to once again be relaxed in her teammate's presence. The three stayed together for a while, no words were exchanged, each was reaffirming that the other was alright, and was safe. As their group hug broke up, Erza stared at Natsu before huffing and giving him a small smile.

"At least you didn't mess this one up." She commented.

"I guess flame brains got enough intelligence to do this," Gray smirked.

Natsu immediately made an indignant noise and was about to defend himself when a huge booming voice resounded throughout the guild.

"CHILDREN."

A small form dropped from the second balcony and the guild master neatly landed on the countertop of the bar. Walking to face the returning member, Master Makarov gave Lucy a warm smile.

"Have you finished thinking, dear child?" he asked gently.

Lucy nodded and gave the old man a low bow. "Master, thank you so much for allowing me to go and come back. I don't know how I could ever repay the chance you have given me."

The master laughed heartily. "No need to be so formal. You are family, no matter where you are, or who you are. But now that you are back, I think we should make it official once again, don't you?" He asked, motioning for her hand. Wiping the tears off her face, Lucy gave a big smile as she extended her hand. Taking the stamp from Mirajane, Master Makarov took her hand and once again stamped the pink Fairy Tail logo on.

"Welcome back child." He greeted. As he looked amongst the faces of all the members, a mischievous light shined in his eyes. "Now, I do believe we are expecting a new member too Lucy?" he whispered. The other mages murmured in confusion at their guild master's cryptic sentence, but both Natsu and Lucy blushed profusely.

"Now, master?" Lucy asked meekly.

"Now." The old man nodded his head in a grave manner in response.

Giving a small sigh, Lucy nudged at a bump hidden in her cloak. In the confusion and chaos of the initial greeting, no one had noticed that Lucy had a rather irregular shaped short bump behind her.

"Shunko, come on out. It's okay." She murmured.

A ruffle of peach hair and two curious though shy dark eyes peered out. Lucy smiled and adjusted her cloak so that all of Shunko was out before lifting him up to a counter chair.

"Master, please meet Shunko, my son."

The master grinned at the child. "Nice to meet you child, I'm the guild master of Fairy Tail. You can call me gramps." Shunko smiled shyly at the old man and gave a quick wave.

Meanwhile, the rest of the guild that was rather slow on the uptake finally finished processing what they heard, and what they were seeing.

"YOUR WHAT!?" the guild exclaimed.

"My son?" Lucy replied, not seeing what the big deal was.

"Ohmygosh Lu-chan! Why didn't you tell us sooner! He is so cute!"

"His cheeks are so chubby!"

"What magic does he use?"

"Who's the father?"

Silence.

A/N: Yes I am back. Sorry for the delay, I was kind of lost for a while on where to go after they reunited. (I generally don't plan my stories they just happen) Anyways, Happy reading, please R&R

 **IMPORTANT:** __The story that I am currently working on, out of my other ongoing fanfics can now be found on my profile. So if any of you are getting antsy on when the next chapter is going out, you can check my profile to see if I'm working on it or not.


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